Colombia’s widening political corruption scandal deepened on Monday as prosecutors formally charged two former cabinet members of President Gustavo Petro’s administration for allegedly orchestrating a vote-buying scheme that helped push key government reforms through Congress.
Former Finance Minister Ricardo Bonilla and former Interior Minister Luis Fernando Velasco stand accused of collaborating with officials in two government agencies to divert public funds to companies tied to sitting lawmakers and their political allies. In return, prosecutors say, those lawmakers delivered crucial votes in support of the Petro government’s legislative agenda, including the controversial overhaul of the national pension system.
The charges — criminal association, bribery, and undue conflict of interest in contracting — carry potential sentences of up to 27 years in prison. Both men have denied the allegations.
A Scandal Reaches the Highest Levels
The case is part of a broader anti-corruption sweep shaking Colombia’s political establishment. In recent weeks, the former presidents of both the Senate and the House of Representatives were arrested for their alleged participation in the same vote-buying network, accused of accepting bribes from members of Petro’s administration.
Prosecutors allege that Bonilla and Velasco played central roles in coordinating the flow of government contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to politically connected firms. Much of the money allegedly originated from the national disaster prevention agency, whose former director is also facing charges.
A President on the Defensive
President Petro has sharply criticized the investigations, characterizing them as an orchestrated effort to destabilize his government. The administration has been under extraordinary scrutiny as the scandal unfolds, threatening to undermine the president’s reformist platform and weaken his political alliances.
During Monday’s hearing in Bogotá, Bonilla — a 75-year-old economist and long-time adviser to Petro — insisted he was innocent. “I have the certainty that I have not committed any crime,” he told the court. Bonilla served as finance minister for 18 months before resigning last year when allegations of his involvement in the scheme first surfaced.
Velasco, who oversaw congressional relations and internal political affairs during his tenure, has likewise rejected the accusations.
A System Under Strain
The unfolding scandal highlights ongoing concerns about corruption within Colombia’s legislative process and the misuse of public resources. Analysts warn that the case could have far-reaching implications, potentially reshaping political coalitions and casting a long shadow over the Petro administration’s ability to govern.
As the criminal proceedings continue, prosecutors say further arrests and charges remain possible, suggesting that Colombia’s anti-corruption drive is far from over.
By FCCT Editorial Team
, an independent military force, and allied militias in Sudan raped several dozen women and girls in West Darfur’s capital, El Geneina, and those fleeing to Chad between late April and late June 2023, Human Rights Watch said today. The assailants appear to have targeted people because of their Massalit ethnicity and, in some cases, because they were known activists.){kind=link}