Andrés Pastrana: Epstein Papers Intensify Scrutiny of Ex-Colombia President

Bogotá – Pressure is mounting on former Colombian President Andrés Pastrana (1998-2002) over his connections to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Newly released correspondence from the U.S. Department of Justice indicates the former president maintained contact with Epstein’s inner circle as late as April 2009, a period when serious suspicions already surrounded Epstein’s activities. He had been convicted in June 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a minor and transporting individuals for the purpose of prostitution.

The latest disclosures include communications with Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent who collaborated with Epstein in his crimes and died by suicide in prison in February 2022. An email dated April 20, 2009, reads, “Hello, Andrés (…). I arrive at two in the afternoon from Lima. Tell me if you have an American phone number so I can call you. I am very happy to see you again,” sent from Brunel to Pastrana. Prior to this, Epstein himself referenced Pastrana to Brunel, requesting he “Call Pastrana about a big house in Cuba” on April 10th. Five days later, Epstein asked Brunel to arrange a meeting between himself and Pastrana with businessman Tommy Mottola, who reportedly wanted to become “the entertainment czar in Cuba.”

Further scrutiny centers on additional references to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate and accomplice. A March 19, 2004, email reveals Pastrana informing Maxwell, now serving a 20-year prison sentence, of his travel plans to New York on a Continental Airlines flight. “Once again, many thanks and let me know [about the preparations],” Pastrana wrote. He reiterated the message on March 21st, to which Maxwell promptly replied, “I received your email. The driver will be in the baggage claim area with a sign with your name. Let me know if you received my message + if you already have information about the apartment where you are staying.”

Maxwell’s own account details flights aboard a Colombian Air Force Blackhawk helicopter during a visit to Colombia. “I have photos (…) in which I am with the president, who invited me and organized everything, including having terrorists run around me so I could shoot at them,” she wrote in an email dated April 2003, the recipient of which remains undisclosed. She also recounted flying over the Amazon rainforest and keeping bullets as souvenirs. These flights were previously reported in August of last year following a statement Maxwell provided to U.S. Prosecutors. December’s release of documents included images of Maxwell and Pastrana in Colombian Air Force pilot suits, as well as images of Maxwell alone.

Calls for Explanation

Requests for Pastrana to clarify his ties to Epstein have largely gone unanswered. In December, he ignored calls from numerous political figures and civil society leaders to explain the photograph of himself and Maxwell in military uniform. He responded only to President Gustavo Petro, dismissing Petro’s concerns and alleging, without providing evidence, that the current president is involved in child trafficking. “I am not intimidated by a pedophile, Petro, who surrounds himself with child rapists and makes deals with them for the sexual slavery of minors. This Government is in default of addressing a crime that falls under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. And Petro, to explain his public scandals,” Pastrana stated.

Pastrana has reacted this time, responding to a column published on February 2nd, 2026, by journalist Ana Bejarano in the magazine Cambio. The article detailed accusations against the former president, ranging from flight logs to recent White House disclosures, arguing that these pointed to more than a “superficial relationship.” Bejarano questioned Pastrana’s eagerness to inform Maxwell of his arrival in New York in 2004 and his connections to Brunel. Pastrana, once again, avoided addressing the questions, announcing instead his intention to sue Bejarano: “My enemies insist on slander, insult, and defamation.”

Pastrana’s defense now centers on the claim that in 2003, Epstein was not publicly known as a pedophile, but as an investor with high-level global connections. He asserts that the aircraft he traveled on to Cuba was not then known as the “Lolita Express” and its association with criminal activity was not established. “The malicious omission and manipulation [of this data] in the text constitutes an evident slander,” he alleges. He also maintains that flight logs do not include the names of minors and that there is no proof he ever visited the Caribbean island where the crimes occurred. He has asked Bejarano to make these clarifications in her article, while avoiding responding to questions about his years-long connections to Epstein’s network.

Numerous figures, including Senator Gustavo Bolívar and journalists Yolanda Ruiz and Laura Ardila, have voiced support for Bejarano and joined the calls for Pastrana to provide explanations.

The backlash against Pastrana in Colombia occurs alongside similar reactions worldwide against prominent figures who are beginning to face consequences for their associations with Epstein. Andrés Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles III of England, has been stripped of his title as prince and expelled from his residence at Windsor Castle following the publication of new photographs depicting him in a compromising position.

Meanwhile, former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, have agreed to testify before the U.S. Congress in the investigation into Epstein. Other business leaders, politicians, and members of royalty have also expressed remorse for their contacts with the financier. Pastrana, however, continues to withhold further details regarding his relationship with the world’s most infamous pedophile. February 6, 2026