Gustavo Bolívar asked Sandra Ortiz, Minister for the Petro Regions, to resign due to the tanker scandal: “The Government does not accept that”

Gustavo Bolívar published on social networks that it is necessary for Ortiz to leave the National Government – credit Joel Gonzalez/Presidency

In a political scandal that shakes Colombia, Sandra Ortiz, presidential advisor for the Regions, faces serious accusations for her alleged involvement in a corruption case linked to the negotiation of bribes in Congress.

According to revelations by Sneyder Pinilla, former deputy director of the Ungrd, Ortiz would have acted as an intermediary in the delivery of three billion pesos in cash, destined for Senator Iván Name, president of the Senate. This money, which was supposed to facilitate the management of ‘tank cars’ for La Guajira, would have been delivered in two suitcases full of bills of fifty thousand and one hundred thousand pesos, during a trip to the municipality of Codazzi, Cesar.

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The situation seriously compromises the integrity of Colombian politics, as it calls into question not only Ortiz, but also the immediate environment of the current government. In a conversation with Gustavo Bolívar, director of Social Prosperity, he expressed to Blu Radio that Ortiz is willing to resign from her position in the face of these accusations.

“I was entering Catam, they were going the other way. He is very sad, I advised him to go ahead because obviously the Government does not tolerate this. A Government that has never given us any instruction other than to take care of the Nation’s resources,” Bolívar said.

Likewise, in his of corruption in Ungrd. “A few cannot continue to stain a Government that has given us the instruction to take care of resources with maximum transparency.”

Through his X account, the director of the DPS indicated that Ortiz must leave the Government – credit @GustavoBolivar/X

It is noteworthy that the name of Luis Fernando Velasco has also been related to the Ungrd and his time as director of the entity. Bolívar was asked if he also recommended that the Minister of the Interior resign in view of these appointments, to which the former senator responded that “all those who have to fall should fall”, however, he did not offer further details.

Besides. Bolívar highlights the seriousness of the situation by understanding that the Ungrd “acted as a petty cash fund” for corruption since this entity, being in charge of emergency situations, does not have the need to hold a tender, which implies that it can contract and transfer money directly. .

The tanker corruption scandal has shaken the political sphere related to financial maneuvers in Congress, involving the allocation of million-dollar funds in exchange for support in crucial votes.

At the center of this controversy is Sandra Ortiz, accused of alleged monetary transactions to favor the approval of legislative reforms, in a case that has begun to be called ‘the carroreformas’. The accusations suggest that these money movements were intended to guarantee voting support for significant changes in legislation, including health reforms and adjustments to the National Budget.

Sandra Ortiz was identified by Pinilla as the person who took the money to Iván Name – credit Camila Díaz/Colprensa

The source of these statements is Sneyder Pinilla, a former high-ranking official of the Ungrd, who has implicated several political figures in a network of overpriced tank truck purchases. These acquisitions, officially intended to transport water to La Guajira, would have actually served as a front to extract resources later used to influence the approval of important legislation in Congress. According to Pinilla, the operation would have involved the delivery of 6,000 million pesos to Iván Name, president of the Senate, with the payment of half of this amount having already been made.

The link between Ortiz and Senator Name, both from the Green Alliance party, as well as the connection with Carlos Ramón González, former director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic (Dapre) and currently head of the National Intelligence Directorate (DNI ), are key in the investigation. The accusations detail that the meetings to coordinate these payments were held in places of high political importance such as the Tequendama Residences and other offices close to the presidency of the Republic.

Apparently, Ortiz’s work was related to influencing the vote on the Government’s reforms – credit @SandraÓrtizN / X

This case not only stands out for the sums of money involved but also for the method allegedly used to guarantee votes in favor of key legislation. The use of resources designated for a critical humanitarian need such as the water supply to La Guajira for political purposes has generated special indignation. The meetings and agreements reached demonstrate, according to those involved, “a deep network of corruption” that underlies some layers of the political system, using the state apparatus for the benefit of particular interests.

The information detailed by Pinilla about the payments and the figures involved in the scandal has prompted calls for exhaustive investigations to clarify the activities and responsibilities of the accused. It is expected that on May 8 there will be more information about Pinilla’s statement.