The Power of Meticulous and Transparent Reporting!
Colombia – Cuestión Pública: Investigating Andres Pastrana’s Mentions in the Epstein Case Files
Cuestión Pública is an independent investigative journalism organization based in Colombia, dedicated to exposing corruption, human rights abuses, and issues of public accountability. Cuestión Pública was founded in 2018 with the aim of going beyond news journalism and offering citizens investigative journalism content. The newsroom works in collaboration with global investigative networks, producing deep-dive investigations using primary documents, legal records, and expert interviews.
- Colombia
- Cuestión Pública
- 2026
- Colombia
- Cuestión Pública
- 2026
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> The Story
Following the release of over three million files by the U.S. Department of Justice relating to the Jeffrey Epstein case in early February 2026, Cuestión Pública analyzed hundreds of thousands of pages, including emails, flight logs, and personal contacts. Among these, at least 30 mentions of former Colombian President Andrés Pastrana Arango (1998-2002) emerged.
Ever since November 2025, when the Department of Justice first released documents mentioning the former Colombian President in the Epstein case, investigative reporters at Cuestión Pública have been following the story.
These documents annalized by Cuestión Pública suggest a closer-than-previously-reported relationship between Pastrana and figures such as Ghislane Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, and Jean-Luc Brunel — all of whom faced serious charges in high-profile sexual assault cases. Both Epstein and Brunel died under mysterious circumstances while in custody, Maxwell has been convicted to 20 years in prison, and her case continues to cause a stir in a story that has received widespread media coverage and global impact.
Cuestión Pública’s investigative team carefully cross-referenced flight records, email correspondences, and other primary documents to trace Pastrana’s involvement and interactions with these individuals, highlighting previously unpublished details.
This information not only reveals Pastrana’s closeness to Epstein, Maxwell and Brunel, but also confirms that Pastrana flew aboard the infamous “Lolita Express” plane on two occasions, as shown by records, the exchange of packages, communications and support in accommodation and flight arrangements, as well as graphic material and emails in which Maxwell claims to have participated in military operations, firing from a helicopter at alleged guerrillas and using uniforms and resources exclusively used by the Colombian armed forces when Pastrana was president.
The former Colombian president has lashed out at his critics, even threatening legal action against those he says are smearing and defaming him. Pastrana went so far as to demand the retraction of an op-ed column by journalist Ana Bejarano. In his defense, Pastrana maintains that at the time, Epstein was known as an investor with international connections, and that he did not know that Epstein’s plane was linked to criminal activity.
However, given that the documents have been declassified by the US Department of Justice and are now in the public domain, and that there are no known investigations or legal proceedings against the former President, it is Pastrana himself who has to account to the Colombian public for the messages, flights, meetings and packages he exchanged with the pedophile and sex trafficking network; to explain why Maxwell had access and used public resources intended for military use only; and to provide details of the alleged military operation in which Maxwell allegedly participated at Pastrana’s invitation while he was president of Colombia.
Multimedia & Sources:
- The Epstein Chapter: The girls who exposed the sexual exploitation pyramid of a ‘simple John’ – Link
- We, the respectables: Epstein’s sexual exploitation network as you’ve never heard it before – Link
- Pastrana and his pending answers about his relationship with Epstein – Link
- Epstein, the files, and I: references to Pastrana – Link
- Andrés Pastrana’s never-before-seen emails in the Epstein case files – Link
- Andrés Pastrana allegedly knew about Epstein’s encounters with minors – Link
The questions Andrés Pastrana has not answered about his relationship with Epstein: Diana Salinas, editor-in-chief of Cuestion Publica, speaks on Maria Jimena Duzan’s podcast “A Fondo” about the open questions posed by a group of female journalists, writers, lawyers, and opinion leaders in Colombia that former President Pastrana owes answers to. – Link.
Impact Summary:
External and Internal Network Impact
Cuestión Pública’s analysis prompted widespread discussion among journalists, academics, and legal experts in Colombia. Multiple media outlets cited the investigation, while global investigative networks highlighted the significance of the released DOJ files for understanding international networks of abuse.
External Individual Impact
The investigation brought Pastrana’s role into public debate, prompting citizens, activists, and political commentators to demand clarifications regarding his interactions with Epstein, Maxwell, and Brunel.
Internal Individual Impact
Reporters and researchers involved in the project honed advanced skills in analyzing massive datasets of legal documents, flight records, and email communications. They also strengthened collaboration with international experts on digital forensics and investigative verification.
External Institutional Impact
While formal investigations are ongoing in multiple jurisdictions, the public scrutiny generated by Cuestión Pública’s reporting has intensified calls for transparency from both Colombian authorities and international oversight bodies.
