- Former Colombian ministers Ricardo Bonilla and Luis Fernando Velasco are now in custody following a court order.
- Bonilla will be held at the Center for Higher Studies of the National Police in Bogotá,while Velasco is at the Carabineros School in Cali.
- the arrests stem from an investigation into alleged embezzlement of funds from the National Unit for Disaster risk Management (Ungrd) and the National Highway Institute (Invías).
- President Gustavo Petro noted Bonilla had recently been in intensive care and had no prior judicial record.
Bogotá, December 21, 2025 – Review photographs of former Colombian ministers Ricardo Bonilla and Luis Fernando Velasco began circulating after a court ordered their preventative detention, signaling a major escalation in a probe into alleged corruption. The case centers around the potential misuse of funds from the National unit for Disaster Risk Management (Ungrd).
Both former officials are now in the custody of the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (Inpec), awaiting the progress of the investigation. Ricardo Bonilla, 76, will be held at the Center for Higher Studies of the National Police in Bogotá, while Luis Fernando Velasco will remain in custody at the Carabineros School in Cali.
Judge Leonor Oviedo, of the Criminal Chamber of the Superior Court of Bogotá, legalized the arrest warrants and ordered the preventative detention of both ministers. Cespo serves not only as an academic institution but also provides confinement areas for high-ranking state officials. Bonilla will remain there as the criminal proceedings unfold.
Luis Fernando Velasco,the former Minister of the Interior,appeared before authorities after his arrest was ordered and participated in the legalization hearing virtually. He is currently held at the Cali Carabineros School.
The Reasons for the Insurance Measure
The Prosecutor’s Office investigation alleges that the former ministers were involved in a scheme too divert resources from the Ungrd and the National Highway Institute (Invías), possibly to secure political support from congressmen for legislative projects. At least 74 Invías projects, valued at approximately 571,000 million pesos, and Ungrd contracts exceeding 40,000 million pesos are under scrutiny.
luis Fernando Velasco Photo:Social networks.
The charges include conspiracy to commit a crime, bribery, and undue interest in the execution of contracts. While the Prosecutor’s Office initially considered house arrest, the Superior Court of Bogotá opted for detention in a “prison establishment,” citing the need to prevent the continuation of “practices associated with contractual routing and interference in highly complex corruption networks.”
#Attention | Thes are the photographs of the reviews of former ministers Ricardo Bonilla and Luis Fernando Velasco, after being captured and made available to Inpec.
former Minister Ricardo Bonilla will be confined in the Center for Higher Studies of the National Police, in… pic.twitter.com/cgCpKV7ZP1
– W Radio Colombia (@WRadioColombia) december 21, 2025
