As the scandal involving Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) deepens the entity’s former director Olmedo López, affirmed that senior government officials pressured him to award contracts to the ELN guerrilla to prevent the collapse of peace negotiations.
This allegation now adds a new dimension to what is being described as the most severe corruption scandal in President Gustavo Petro’s administration.
López made his statement to the Supreme Court of Justice, asserting that, in addition to the well-known contracts given to congress members to secure the votes for Petro’s political reforms, as well as the October 2023 local elections, he was specifically instructed to direct government contracts to the ELN. The aim, he said, was to keep the Petro’s “total peace” agenda on track after the group threatened to resume civilian kidnappings.
The accusations were revealed by Noticias Caracol’s Investigative Unit, and shed new light on a scandal that has implicated Petro’s inner circle. “What I have in my possession could jeopardize total peace,” stated López, referring to sensitive information he kept regarding the alleged directives to allocate UNGRD funds to the ELN.
According to López, the government’s strategy was to financially support the terrorist group to ensure they remained at the negotiating table in Caracas, Venezuela. A crisis erupted during the talks when the ELN announced they would resume kidnappings for financial gain, following the high-profile abduction of soccer player Luis Díaz’s father, which drew international condemnation.
López’s statement to the Supreme Court included details of ministers, senior officials, mayors, and contractors who would benefit directly from these lucrative contracts. “This involves an actor with significant military capability. The name in the document I showed to the Attorney General, summarized in my statement, is the ELN and its substantial influence in the Arauca department,” López told the investigating magistrate.
López further revealed to the Attorney General’s Office – Fiscalia – that he feared for his life, having received explicit threats from the illegal armed group. These threats, he claimed, were attempts to silence him.
Following his interrogation, the Attorney General’s Office is preparing to request a hearing to charge López and former deputy director Sneyder Pinilla. This move is part of the process of consolidating the principle of opportunity, which could offer them penal benefits in exchange for their cooperation. The severity of the crimes means the Attorney General’s Office will seek preventive detention for both men.
In his testimony, López mentioned nine congress members who allegedly had orders to direct contracts. He specifically named Finance Minister Ricardo Bonilla as giving him explicit instructions during face-to-face meetings to allocate these contracts using public funds from the UNGRD budget.
In response to these revelations, the Supreme Court has launched a formal investigation against the nine representatives and senators implicated by the testimonies. However, the involvement of the ELN was a previously unknown aspect of the scandal. So far, there have been no comments from Otty Patiño, the High Commissioner for Peace.
The national government’s Peace Delegation, currently engaged in talks with the ELN, expressed its concern in a statement on July 13, warning that the peace process is at a standstill. They highlighted delays in fulfilling commitments related to civil society’s participation and extending the ceasefire. The current truce is set to expire in the first week of August, prompting the Delegation to call for urgent discussions to renew it.
The bilateral ceasefire between the National Government and the ELN began in August 2023, in the midst of peace negotiations. However, in the 11 months since, the ELN has breached the ceasefire 45 times, with 39 violations and six breaches.
These allegations not only exacerbate corruption charges within Petro’s administration, but also cast a shadow over the ultimate objectives of a guerrilla organization that continues to kidnap, recruit minors into its rank-and-file, and launch attacks against the country’s civilian population.