Former UNGRD Deputy Director Snyder Pinilla Allegedly Paid Bribes to Colombian Officials in Exchange for Social Reform Approval

In an interview with Semana magazine on Friday, former deputy director of UNGRD, Snyder Pinilla, revealed that he used state funds to pay bribes to high-ranking officials in the Colombian Congress. Specifically, Pinilla claimed that he gave 3,000 million pesos to Senator Iván Name and 1,000 million pesos to Representative Andrés Calle in order to ensure the approval of social reforms proposed by the government. The money was supposed to come from a contractor who was tasked with purchasing tanker trucks for water supply in La Guajira but the project failed due to technical issues.

The revelations made by Pinilla have caused a stir in Colombia as they implicate several high-ranking officials and affect the government of President Gustavo Petro. In response, the presidency of Colombia issued a statement reiterating its zero tolerance for corruption and ordered an investigation into the misuse of public resources with support from the United States Embassy. Pinilla also named other officials involved in the scandal including the former director of UNGRD, minister of interior and an advisor for regions.

Pinilla’s defense attorney stated that he is willing to return embezzled money while Name and Calle deny any wrongdoing and defend their integrity in public service. Following Pinilla’s revelations, calls were made for Sandra Ortiz, advisor for regions resignation and further investigations into corruption allegations. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the corruption scandal and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.