{
  "id": 10955197,
  "title": "Colombia Moves to Complete Nearly Finished Mega-Prison in Magdalena",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/colombia-moves-to-complete-nearly-finished-mega-prison-in-magdalena",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T03:57:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Colombia One",
    "slug": "colombia-one",
    "url": "https://colombiaone.com/2026/09/29/first-mega-prison-set-to-be-completed-and-opened-by-abelardo-de-la-espriella-in-colombiafirst-mega-prison-set-to-open-under-abelardo-de-la-espriella/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella has fulfilled his campaign promise to build mega-prisons, with the construction of the Sabanas de San Angel prison in the department of Magdalena nearly complete. The governor of Magdalena, Margarita Guerra, announced that the national government has guaranteed the resources to finish the project, with a projected opening date, though it remains undisclosed. The prison, officially named the National-Level Detention Facility (ERON) of medium security, is being developed by AMR Construcciones and has reached 86% physical progress and 75% financial progress, indicating its final stage is imminent.\n\nThe project gained momentum after security council meetings in Santa Marta, which led to the facility's construction proposal. Subsequent meetings facilitated coordination among national and departmental entities to finalize the necessary preparations for the prison's operation. The government has initiated plans to enhance the access road to the prison complex, a critical component that must be resolved before the facility's inauguration.\n\nPresident Espriella's commitment to mega-prisons is evident in his inauguration speech, where he stated, \"In my government, mega-prisons will be built to imprison those who represent the greatest threat to the security of the people.\" This commitment was solidified through a technical working group involving key officials such as Vice Minister of Justice Ivan Cancino and Carlos Gonima Diaz-Granados. On Friday, Guerra formally submitted a request to the president, which was followed by a prison facility tour on Saturday attended by USPEC Director General Isadora Fernandez Posada, Vice Minister of Criminal Policy and Restorative Justice Carlos Gonima Diaz-Granados, and INPEC Director of Corporate Management Andres Barney, among other inter-institutional representatives.\n\nThe prison, according to USPEC, will provide 1,974 new places within Colombia's penitentiary and prison system. While the mega-prison project nears completion, an immediate alternative solution involves converting national navy vessels into maximum-security prisons to isolate high-profile inmates, with these vessels set to receive inmates before the end of the year. This rapid response measure is expected to operate as a temporary solution while the mega-prison project is finalized, addressing aspects such as location, financing, and capacity.",
  "summary": "Colombia President Abelardo de la Espriella found an advanced project that allows him to begin fulfilling his campaign promise to build mega-prisons. It is the Sabanas de San Angel prison, in the department of Magdalena, which began construction in 2020. The governor of that department in northern Colombia, Margarita Guerra, said the national government has […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}