Colombian President Petro vows a lawsuit after Ecuador's Noboa alleges ties to gang boss 'Fito'

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BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Sunday he will sue his Ecuadorian counterpart, Daniel Noboa, who accused him of having ties to the leader of a ruthless criminal organization, deepening the diplomatic and trade crisis between the two South American nations.

Petro announced his decision in a post on X in which he did not provide details of the lawsuit, including the country and venue in which he plans to file it. His threat is the latest twist in the running dispute of the ideologically opposed presidents whose countries are battling surges in crime driven by drug trafficking.

Noboa on Saturday told a Colombian newspaper that Petro had met with members of Ecuador’s largest political opposition party, some of whom “have ties to Fito.” Noboa was referring to Adolfo Macías, alias “Fito,” the leader of one of Ecuador’s most powerful criminal organizations, who was extradited to the United States last year on drug- and weapon-trafficking charges.

Noboa did not present any evidence to support his claim. Petro has denied knowing Macías.

“I have decided to file a criminal lawsuit against President Noboa for his slander,” Petro wrote on X on Sunday. He also explained that Noboa ordered the Ecuadorian Army to protect him 24/7 when he visited the coastal city of Manta in May for Noboa’s second term inauguration. Manta has long been a hub for the trafficking of cocaine produced in Colombia.

Ecuador’s government did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Petro’s announcement comes during a dispute between the two leaders that has plunged Colombia and Ecuador into a trade war since January, when Noboa unilaterally imposed tariffs on Colombian imports, citing a lack of control at their shared border.

Colombia responded with its own tariffs and a suspension of energy sales, while Ecuador progressively increased its tariff from 30% to 50% and finally to 100%. The last increase will take effect next month.