COLOMBIA · COURTS
Key Facts
- Ruling A Bogota appeals court freed Luis Fernando Velasco, a former interior minister, on Thursday 5 November.
- Case Prosecutors allege he steered disaster-agency contracts to win congressional votes for former President Gustavo Petro’s bills.
- Charges Aggravated conspiracy, bribery by giving or offering, and undue interest in contracts; he says he is innocent.
- Next step The Supreme Court trial returns to a hearing on Tuesday 2 February 2027.
- Power Index Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.1 points (November 2026 edition).
A Colombian appeals court ordered ex-minister Velasco freed on Thursday 5 November, ending his house arrest in a major corruption case. The Superior Tribunal of Bogotá, a high regional court, revoked the detention order and set him free at once.
Luis Fernando Velasco was interior minister under former President Gustavo Petro and still faces trial before the Supreme Court. Prosecutors accuse him of steering state contracts to win votes in Congress, and he says he will prove his innocence at trial.
What the Court Decided
The penal chamber of the Superior Tribunal of Bogotá revoked the detention measure on Thursday afternoon and ordered Velasco’s immediate release. It ruled on an appeal filed by his defense and by the Procuraduría, the state watchdog that oversees public officials.
The judges reasoned that Velasco no longer holds public office and cannot steer state agencies, so keeping him confined served no purpose. They also found that prosecutors had not shown he would obstruct the investigation.
Velasco wrote on X that he received the decision with serenity and respect. He added that he would give evidence at trial about who he believes actually stole from the disaster agency.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
Luis Fernando Velasco is a former interior minister, the cabinet member who deals with Congress and local governments. He served under Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s former president, and is presumed innocent.
UNGRD is Colombia’s national disaster-risk agency, which handles emergency response and prevention. Prosecutors say its money and contracts were used as political currency, and those claims are allegations, not findings.
The Fiscalía General is Colombia’s prosecutor’s office, which brought the charges and runs the case. The Supreme Court’s special first-instance chamber is the court trying the case.
Ricardo Bonilla, a former finance minister, is on trial alongside Velasco. Olmedo López, the former UNGRD director, is the official prosecutors say Velasco worked with.
How the Case Reached This Point
A judge ordered Velasco held in prison on 18 December 2025, although prosecutors had asked only for house arrest. The Superior Tribunal confirmed that order on 30 April 2026.
On 6 August the Supreme Court annulled both decisions after he filed a constitutional protection action, and he walked free. Days later the Tribunal ordered house arrest instead, and Velasco turned himself in.
That house arrest is the measure the Tribunal revoked on Thursday. The trial itself is separate and continues.
What Prosecutors Allege
The Fiscalía says that in 2023 and 2024 Velasco and Bonilla used public contracting to win congressional support for government projects. Prosecutors say Velasco coordinated this with López at the disaster agency.
Prosecutors say 79 projects worth about COP 612 billion (US$190 million at 3,221 pesos per US$1) were pushed through two state bodies. At least seven of the projects went ahead, and all of this remains the prosecutors’ claim.
The charges are aggravated conspiracy to commit crimes, bribery by giving or offering, and undue interest in contracting. No court has convicted him, and the release is not an acquittal.
What It Means for You
For US readers, the ruling is a test of how Colombia’s courts handle politically sensitive cases from the disaster-agency scandal under former President Gustavo Petro. Investors, diplomats and companies that bid for Colombian public contracts watch such cases for signs of institutional strength.
The decision concerns pretrial detention, not guilt, so the Supreme Court trial remains the moment that counts. A verdict, whenever it comes, will show whether the allegations stand up in court under President Abelardo de la Espriella‘s government.
What Is Not Known
The Supreme Court’s special trial chamber can say at its hearing on Tuesday 2 February 2027 how the trial will proceed. That hearing was postponed for a second time.
Whether the Fiscalía will ask for any lesser restriction on Velasco, such as a travel ban, is open. Prosecutors can answer at the 2 February 2027 hearing.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Luis Fernando Velasco freed?
The Bogotá tribunal found that holding him was no longer justified, since he holds no office and no obstruction risk was shown. The ruling frees him but does not end the case.
Is Velasco cleared of the charges?
No, the release is not an acquittal. He still faces trial in the Supreme Court on conspiracy and bribery charges, with a hearing set for Tuesday 2 February 2027.
What is the UNGRD scandal?
UNGRD is Colombia’s national disaster-risk agency, and prosecutors say its contracts were used to win votes in Congress. Velasco and former finance minister Ricardo Bonilla are among those charged, and all are presumed innocent.
Which court is trying the case?
The Supreme Court’s special first-instance chamber is trying Velasco and Bonilla. Its next scheduled hearing is Tuesday 2 February 2027.
Sources: Superior Tribunal of Bogotá, penal chamber, ruling on the detention appeal, 5 November 2026; Supreme Court of Justice, special first-instance chamber, UNGRD trial hearing, 4 November 2026; Fiscalía General de la Nación, charges against Velasco and Bonilla; Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia, official exchange rate (TRM) of 3,221.19 pesos per US$1, 5 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief