Reactions from political sectors continue to emerge after President Gustavo Petro tweeted that the so-called Cartel of the Suns "does not exist." An organization apparently dedicated to drug trafficking, it is believed to be linked to Nicolás Maduro and is being targeted by U.S. authorities.
One of them was former Interior Minister Daniel Palacios, who in conversation with SEMANA revealed evidence confirming that the Cartel of the Suns does exist, contrary to what the Colombian president had claimed.
In the message that sparked the storm, the head of state stated:"The Cartel of the Suns does not exist; it is the far right's fictitious excuse to overthrow governments that do not obey them. The passage of Colombian cocaine through Venezuela is controlled by the Drug Trafficking Board, and its bosses live in Europe and the Middle East."
The Cartel of the Suns does not exist, it is the fictitious excuse of the extreme right to overthrow governments that do not obey them.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) August 25, 2025
The passage of Colombian cocaine through Venezuela is controlled by the Drug Trafficking Board and its bosses live in Europe and the Middle East.
I proposed to the US and… https://t.co/TGqZMuzaWN
However, Palacios noted:"On August 7, 2026, Petro will cease to be president and will become an ordinary citizen, and these countries (the United States) have long memories. The justice system in those countries may be slow, but it moves forward, or if not, just ask Nicolás Maduro, who today sees more than $50 million on his head."
"Here we need to be clear about which side we're on, and we're on the side of legality. I find it very serious that Gustavo Petro is trying to side with illegality," said the former Interior Minister of former President Iván Duque's administration.
He also said: "Petro is desperate to defend the Cartel of the Suns. The members have arrest warrants from the United States justice system, and he's inventing the Drug Trafficking Junta, for which there's no evidence from intelligence agencies."
“Today, the Cartel of the Suns exists, which does exist, as determined by the intelligence agencies of the United States, Colombian intelligence, and Israeli intelligence. It has existed since 1999, and during that time, through members of the Bolivarian public forces who have been part of that government (of Nicolás Maduro), they have facilitated drug trafficking to the United States,” Palacios insisted.
In addition, he said: “The leaders of that cartel are Nicolás Maduro, Diosdado Cabello, and four high-ranking officials, and in 2020, the United States government released the evidence. General Hugo Armando Carvajal, alias El Pollo, director of military intelligence in Venezuela, was convicted by the United States justice system as a member of the Cartel of the Suns.”
