Gustavo Petro’s government is in one of its deepest crises. Less than 230 days to the end of her term after the arrest of two of her former ministers, Luis Fernando Velasco and Ricardo Bonilla, who were accused of leading a corruption network that diverted more than 612,000 million pesos in public funds within the National Disaster Risk Management Unit (Ungrd) and other state entities.
According to the public prosecutor’s investigation, between May 2023 and February 2024 Velasco, former Interior Minister, and Bonilla, former Finance Ministerled a criminal organization that diverted public funds through the Ungrd and the National Highway Institute (Invías). These funds would have been used to “buy” the support of at least ten representatives in Congress with the aim of securing executive approval for structural reforms.
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In this sense, Wilson Ruiz, former Attorney General and current Senate candidate for the National Salvation Partytook advantage of the excitement caused by the arrest of the former members of Petro’s team to give – in his own way – a summary of what he believed was the current government: that it wanted to promote a strong discussion on social networks about the politicization of criminal processes on the eve of the electoral process in 2026.
“The “government of change” swapped ministers for prisoners. Now Petro tries to protect them because he knows he will be next when they all fall. Colombia cannot tolerate any more corruption disguised as the “change” promised by the left. “Let’s save Colombia!” Ruiz said in response to the event involving key figures in Petro’s cabinet and which has called into question the institutional integrity and the promise of political renewal in the national territory.
The criminal mechanisms described by the investigative agency indicated that Bonilla was the organizer of the expensesguaranteed the budget for the so-called “guide quotas”while Velasco politically managed the congressmen. The offenses charged include aggravated conspiracy, undue interest in the execution of contracts and bribery by gift or offer; Furthermore, both former ministers have denied the charges and pleaded not guilty.
The legal proceedings escalated on December 18th. as Judge Aura Alexandra Rosero of the Supreme Court of Bogotáimposed preventive detention on the former ministers in a prison facility. The decision was based on the seriousness of the incidents and the institutional risk, as the report stated that house arrest was not enough to prevent possible interference with the investigation against the two former officers.
On his part The catches were legalized on December 19thwhen Bonilla was held at the National Police Center for Higher Studies (Cespo) in Bogotá, while Velasco voluntarily surrendered in Cali and was accepted into the Carabineros School in the capital, Valle del Cauca. During the hearing, Bonilla reported that he was suffering from ischemia, a fact that did not change the court’s decision; which led to controversy over his health.
The case, This is part of the Ungrd frameworkwhich was revealed by the revelations of Olmedo López, the company’s former director, and its former deputy director Sneyder Pinilla, is in the appeal phase: the defense of the former ministers is trying to reverse the insurance measure. The trial is expected to continue in January 2026 as the investigation continues and expands to include more than ten lawmakers and other senior officials involved.
Regarding this case, President Gustavo Petro’s reaction was strong. The president defended his former ministers and questioned Judge Rosero’s actionswhom he accused of being insensitive and exceeding the parties’ demands. He thereby pointed out that, unlike other cases, the judge did not take Bonilla’s serious illness into account and did not allow the defense to have a full hearing during ongoing negotiations.
“People with work and knowledge humiliate themselves and become victims of revenge just because they helped people.“, said the ruler: the same who in the past criticized the corrupt actions of other governments, but who now invites economics students to comment on what he sees as the criminalization of different intellectual positions in political exercise. And this despite the numerous evidence against the former officials.
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