Colombia’s opposition announces criminal charges against De la Espriella over ties to drug traffickers

Colombian opposition senator Ian Cepeda has accused President Abelardo De la Espriella of orchestrating an agrarian counter-reform aimed at benefiting wealthy landowners and convicted drug traffickers. During a congressional debate, Cepeda alleged that De la Espriella placed associates of drug traffickers and paramilitaries in key government roles overseeing land distribution and asset seizure.

These individuals, who had previously defended drug traffickers and paramilitaries, include Diana Patrica Bravo, a former prosecutor and lawyer linked to De la Espriella’s firm, and the Agriculture Minister Indalecio Dangond, who critics say is executing an agrarian counter-reform at the expense of small farmers and victims of displacement.

Cepeda presented financial records showing that 38% to 40% of Dominio De la Espriella, a company controlled by the De la Espriella family, originated from the funds of Hugues Rodríguez, also known as Comandante Barbie, a former paramilitary financier convicted of drug trafficking in the United States. Dominio De la Espriella controls more than 130 properties linked to Comandante Barbie's network.

Additionally, De la Espriella's ex-wife, Yoly Beatriz Illidge, was appointed Superintendent of Notaries, granting her direct authority over land registration processes nationwide.

The opposition leader also called for the immediate transfer of evidence to the U.S. Department of Justice and to Democrats in Congress, as De la Espriella is a U.S. citizen. Cepeda further vowed to file criminal charges against the president and his Agriculture Minister, alleging that De la Espriella himself is a direct associate of drug traffickers, owns properties acquired from drug traffickers, and is actively defending them within the Colombian government.