Colombian President Accuses Sincelejo Mayor of Corruption, Launches Anti-Graft Unit

President Abelardo De La Espriella launched a frontal attack on corruption Sunday, singling out Sincelejo Mayor Yahir Acuña during an event in Coveñas, Sucre. The president stated Acuña faces 13 open investigations, a video allegedly showing how to embezzle school meal funds, and a Supreme Court summons for illicit enrichment.

De La Espriella declared public money "sacred" and vowed to personally verify every peso spent by his administration. He warned that anyone touching public funds in his "era of the Tiger" would end up in prison, adding that mayors and governors who stayed silent when he mentioned oversight revealed their discomfort.

“Public money is sacred. Every peso that belongs to Colombians will be cared for with rigor and will arrive where it has to arrive.”

The president announced the creation of an Anti-Corruption Search Bloc, to be led by Cristina Lombana upon her arrival as Transparency Secretary on October 8. Lombana, recently a Supreme Court magistrate, was dubbed the government's "anti-corruption czar." The unit will review contracts, advances, additions, assets, and financial movements within legal limits.

De La Espriella also ordered the Education Ministry to inspect the University of Córdoba and cited the Council of State's annulment of the University of Pamplona's former rector election. He insisted university autonomy cannot mean absence of controls.

Mayor Acuña responded with a 12-minute video denouncing the presidential recording as edited and manipulated. He claimed armed men positioned behind him to intimidate him during the meeting and that he was denied the right to reply. Acuña demanded the full, unedited footage be released.

The confrontation marks a sharp escalation in the president's pledge to break from traditional political practices. De La Espriella emphasized he is not a politician and will not allow "politics as usual" to continue diverting resources from hospitals and school meals.