Venezuelan authorities deported businessman Álex Saab to the United States on May 16, 2026, just weeks before Colombia's presidential election. Saab, a longtime financial operator for Nicolás Maduro's regime, became a flashpoint in Colombia's campaign when presidential candidate Paloma Valencia attacked rival Abelardo De La Espriella for having represented Saab legally, while suggesting that Saab's cooperation with U.S. authorities could implicate President Gustavo Petro.