BOGOTA, Columbia: Colombia’s Supreme Court has indicted Leon Fredy Munoz, the country’s ambassador to Nicaragua, on drug trafficking charges six years after he was arrested with nearly 350 grams of cocaine at Medellin airport.
Munoz, who has been under investigation since the 2018 arrest, claims the drugs were planted by political rivals. Despite the charges, he served in Congress and was appointed ambassador to Managua in 2022.
The indictment comes amid escalating political tensions between Colombia and Nicaragua. Recently, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega criticized Colombia and Brazil for not recognizing Nicolas Maduro’s contested re-election in Venezuela.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro responded, condemning human rights violations in Nicaragua. Meanwhile, press advocacy groups report an increase in persecution of journalists under Ortega’s regime.
