International
The protagonists of the Colombian Government’s Risk Unit scandal
Two senior officials of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) have been formally accused today for a large case of corruption in which other members of the Government close to the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, congressmen and politicians from different parties could be involved.
For the moment, the Prosecutor’s Office has accused the former director of the UNGRD Olmedo López and the deputy director for Disaster Management of the same entity Sneyder Pinilla for the crimes of conspiracy to commit aggravated crime, embezzled for aggravated appropriation, undue interest in the conclusion of contracts, ideological falsehood in a public document and falsehood in a private document.
It all began in February when the embezzlement of 46.8 billion pesos (about 11.7 million dollars) was uncovered in the purchase by the UNGRD of 40 tanker trucks to bring drinking water to desert areas of the department of La Guajira.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, López was left with 724 million pesos (about 179,700 dollars) and Pinilla with 342 million pesos (about 85,000 dollars).
The case has been adding the names of other possible ones linked to irregular contracts and the distribution of money between politicians, events that occurred in 2023.
1. Olmedo López
Militant of the left-wing Party Alternative Democratic Pole. In the 2010 elections he was campaign director of Petro, who in April last year appointed him director of the UNGRD, a position he held until February 2024 when he resigned due to this case of corruption, since it was during his administration that the contract for the purchase of the tankers was signed.
Last Saturday, in the installation speech of the new session of Congress, Petro apologized for the corruption in the UNGRD and for having appointed López to head that entity.
2. Sneyder Pinilla
He was deputy director of the UNGRD under the direction of López and is alleged to be the one who allegedly delivered money to congressmen and members of the Government for the contracts. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, he received 1% of the budget of 100 billion pesos (24.7 million dollars) that were allocated for the purchase of the tankers.
3. Luis Eduardo López Rosero
He is the third accused by the Prosecutor’s Office for being a contractor of the carts and, according to the accusation, having received 13% of the tender. He went from being a small merchant to entering the wheel of large state contracts through three companies in his name with which he has achieved, with the UNGRD alone, more than 155 contracts totaling 160 billion pesos (about 39.6 million dollars) between 2012 and 2024, according to Noticias Caracol.
4. Sandra Ortiz
After being a congressman for several terms with the Green Party, Ortiz was appointed by Petro in May 2023 as Presidential Counselor for the Regions. It has been pointed out – but there is still no judicial accusation – of being the link between Pinilla and the then president of Congress, Iván Name, to deliver the bribes, a complaint that she rejects.
5. Ivan Name
Member of the Green Party, he was president of the Senate in the previous legislature (2023-2024). According to the allegations, part of the money embezzled in the purchase of tankers was used to pay bribes to Name and other congressmen in exchange for support in Congress for the reforms of the Petro Government. Name has rejected these accusations and has not yet received an accusation.
6. Andrés Calle
Lawyer and member of the Liberal Party, he was president of the House of Representatives in the 2023-2024 legislature. As Name, it is pointed out – but not formally accused – of having received bribes, in three days and in banknotes in briefcases, in exchange for support in Congress to promote and approve the Social Reforms of the Government. Calle has also rejected the accusations.
7. Carlos Ramón González
It is the last known name in the case. He was Petro’s right-hand man as director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency (Dapre) and is currently the head of the National Intelligence Directorate. During the hearing of accusations, the Prosecutor’s Office said that Ortiz had González’s orders, as his direct boss as director of the Dapre, to allegedly deliver the coimas. He still received a formal accusation.
8. Ricardo Bonilla
The Minister of Finance, Ricardo Bonilla, received accusations as the person who authorized the disbursement of the UNGRD budget and it was also, according to a Pinilla chat published by Noticias Caracol, who coordinated the award of three contracts for 92 billion pesos (about 23 million dollars) to benefit six congressmen in exchange for supporting the expansion of the Government’s debt quota.
Bonilla said today that she respects the work of the Prosecutor’s Office and that she is calm, waiting for her “opportunity before justice” to defend herself.
Central America
Argentina Falls to Lowest Rating in Global Workers’ Rights Index Under Milei Administration
Argentina and Panama have joined Ecuador among the world’s 10 worst countries for workers’ rights, according to a report released Monday by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
The three Latin American nations appear alongside Belarus, Egypt, Eswatini, Myanmar, Nigeria, Tunisia and Turkey in the latest edition of the Global Rights Index, which evaluates the protection of labor rights around the world.
According to the ITUC, Argentina entered the list this year after being downgraded to Category 5, marking its second consecutive year of declining ratings.
“Argentina joins the list of the 10 worst countries for workers this year after falling to Category 5, following a second consecutive year of deterioration in its rating,” the organization stated.
The report argues that working conditions and the environment for trade unions have become increasingly restrictive under the administration of President Javier Milei.
“Conditions for workers and trade unions have become increasingly repressive and hostile under the far-right government of President Javier Milei,” the study said.
The ITUC also highlighted Argentina’s implementation of an anti-blockade protocol aimed at maintaining public order during road blockades. According to the report, the measure authorizes what it describes as the indiscriminate use of police force.
The organization noted that Argentina’s rating has worsened for a second consecutive year, placing the country in Category 5, the lowest level assigned in the index and the worst rating Argentina has ever received.
“This represents an abrupt and unprecedented decline from Category 3 to Category 5 in just two years,” the report stated.
Category 5 includes countries where workers’ rights are considered “not guaranteed.” According to the ITUC, the downgrade reflects a shift from recurring labor rights violations to a situation in which workers are no longer assured basic protections.
The annual index assesses issues such as freedom of association, collective bargaining rights, the right to strike and legal protections for workers and trade unions.
The report’s findings place renewed international attention on labor conditions in several countries, particularly in Latin America, where Argentina, Panama and Ecuador now rank among the most challenging environments for workers’ rights.
International
OAS Election Mission to Monitor Claims of Political Interference by Colombia’s President
The Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) has pledged to follow up on allegations regarding the alleged involvement of Colombian President Gustavo Petro in political campaigning ahead of Sunday’s presidential election.
The announcement was made by presidential candidate Claudia López after a meeting with the head of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission, former Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernández.
According to a statement released by López’s campaign, the OAS mission listened to the concerns raised by the candidate and committed to monitoring the complaints she has submitted to both national and international organizations.
The mission also reiterated its commitment to overseeing the electoral process to help ensure that the will of Colombian voters is respected throughout the election.
“We have turned to international forums and technical observation missions to warn that Colombian democracy cannot be left at the mercy of fear or undue pressure,” López, the former mayor of Bogotá, said following the meeting.
López has repeatedly expressed concerns about what she describes as political interference in the electoral process and has called on national and international institutions to closely monitor the conduct of the campaign.
The OAS observation mission is one of several international bodies deployed to Colombia to monitor the presidential election, which is taking place amid heightened political tensions and intense competition among candidates from across the ideological spectrum.
The election is expected to be closely watched both domestically and internationally as Colombians choose whether to continue with the country’s first left-wing administration or shift toward a new political direction.
International
Colombia Votes in Pivotal Election as Left Seeks to Retain Power
Colombians headed to the polls on Sunday in a crucial presidential election that will determine whether the country continues under its first left-wing government in modern history or shifts back toward the political right.
The election campaign has been marked by deep political divisions, with armed violence and economic concerns emerging as the dominant issues for voters.
A total of 11 candidates remain in the race following the withdrawal of three presidential tickets. The central question is which candidate will advance to a likely runoff election alongside ruling-party senator Iván Cepeda, who has led opinion polls for months with his platform of “democratic revolution” but is not expected to secure enough votes to win outright in the first round.
On the right, Senator Paloma Valencia of the Democratic Center party, the political movement founded by former President Álvaro Uribe, has lost momentum as support has grown for far-right attorney Abelardo de la Espriella. Known as “The Tiger,” De la Espriella has campaigned on a tough-on-crime agenda targeting criminal organizations and guerrilla groups, drawing comparisons to the security policies of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
Political analyst Sandra Borda, a professor at the University of the Andes, argues that Colombia is experiencing not simply greater polarization but a broader political landscape.
“The 2016 peace agreement with the FARC opened significant space for the left. Inevitably, it also created opportunities for the right,” Borda told CNN. The political scientist, who ran for the Senate in 2022 with the New Liberalism movement, believes the current election presents a more challenging environment for the left than four years ago.
According to Borda, left-wing candidates can no longer campaign solely as agents of change who have never had the opportunity to govern or who remained untouched by traditional politics.
“They can no longer make that argument. They have already governed and are no longer immune from criticism associated with political power,” she said.
The election is being closely watched across Latin America as voters weigh the record of the outgoing administration against promises of change from candidates across the political spectrum.
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