A high-profile decision by Colombia’s Supreme Court has led to the arrest of two sitting deputies — Vadit Manzur and Karen Manrique. Both had recently been re-elected, but now find themselves at the center of a major corruption probe linked to the activities of the Unidad Nacional de Gestión de Riesgos y Desastres (UNGRD). Judicial authorities allege the lawmakers participated in a scheme where public funds allocated for disaster response were used for political deals and personal gain.
Investigators claim that members of the legislature serving on the public credit commission approved government loans in exchange for funding projects in their constituencies and support for selected initiatives. According to RUSSPAIN, other politicians are also under suspicion: three members of the Liberal Party and a former deputy from Alianza Verde. The focus is on contracts totaling 92 billion pesos, which were supposed to be allocated to the municipalities of Cotorra, El Salado, and Saravena.
The scheme and key figures
Testimonies from former UNGRD head Olmedo López, who is already in custody, played a key role in exposing the scheme. He stated that Manrique met several times with him and his colleagues to discuss contract details and arrange the allocation of contracts to preferred contractors by prior agreement. During one of these meetings, according to López, the deputy personally wrote in his notebook which projects should be carried out in which regions to secure a positive vote in the credit commission. All this activity, it is claimed, took place with the prior knowledge of Finance Minister Ricardo Bonilla.
The contracts in question were officially intended for the construction of protective structures and flood prevention. However, according to López, part of the funds may have been used to finance armed groups operating in the region. Despite the scale of the proposed projects, none of the contracts were fulfilled — media exposure and subsequent resignations brought the process to a halt.
Investigation and consequences
The investigation into the UNGRD case has been ongoing for two years. During this time, not only members of parliament have come under scrutiny, but also high-ranking officials, including former finance and interior ministers, as well as the president’s advisor on regional affairs. Some individuals involved, such as former presidential chief of staff Carlos Ramon González, are hiding abroad. Among those arrested are also former leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The UNGRD scandal has become one of the most high-profile corruption cases in Colombia in recent years. It exposed vulnerabilities in the system for distributing state funds and demonstrated how political interests can influence decisions on financing infrastructure projects. Authorities continue to work on establishing all the circumstances and bringing those involved to justice.
Background and key figures
Vadit Manzur, a native of Córdoba, entered the Senate for the first time in 2026, winning over 135,000 votes, making it one of the best results for his party. Karen Manrique, representing the interests of conflict victims, was again elected from the department of Arauca. Both politicians previously served on the government credit commission, where key decisions on budget allocation were made. Their arrest was an unexpected turn in the country’s political life and sparked a wide public outcry.
