Colombia’s opposition leader, senator Ian Cepeda, accused President Abelardo de la Espriella of leading an agrarian counter-reform designed to benefit land-owning clans and convicted drug traffickers.
During a congressional debate, Cepeda claimed that De la Espriella put allies of drug traffickers and paramilitaries in charge of key state institutions responsible for land distribution and asset forfeiture.
The president and his appointees are part of a revolving door system of people who, before being appointed to government positions, defended the interests of drug traffickers and paramilitaries associated with De la Espriella and his businesses, according to the opposition leader.
For example, the president put Diana Patrica Bravo, a former prosecutor and partner at his law firm De la Espriella Lawyers, in charge of The Society of Special Assets (SAE), which controls assets that were seized from drug traffickers.
The leader of the leftist Historic Pact party showed financial statements of one of De la Espriella’s companies, Dominio De la Espriella, that would prove that in between 38% and 40% of its capital deposits came from the family and corporate network of Hugues Rodríguez, a.k.a. Comandante Barbie, a former paramilitary financier who was charged with drug trafficking in the US.
The SAE would control more than 130 properties of Comandante Barbie.
De la Espriella family construction firm, Cosenza S.A.S., made property purchases in the city of Monteria directly with individuals under investigation for money laundering and illicit enrichment, according to Cepeda.
The president’s ex-wife, Yoly Beatriz Illidge, was appointed Superintendent of Notaries, making her “directly responsible for inspecting and monitoring all land entries and records issued by restitution judges throughout the country,” according to Cepeda.
De la Espriella is an associate of drug traffickers, owns assets purchased from drug traffickers, and defends drug traffickers from within the national government.
Senator Ivan Cepeda
Last but not least, Agriculture Minister Indalecio Dangond “arrived at this post to execute an agrarian counter-reform at the service of paramilitary land-grabbers, foreign capital, and agro-industrial partners” while blocking investments for small farmers and displacement victims, the opposition leader stated.
Cepeda vowed that he would give the dossier to the United States Department of Justcie and to “Congressmen of the Democratic Party, given that mister De la Espriella is a US citizen.”
The opposition leader additionally promised to file criminal charges against the president and his agriculture minister in Colombia.
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