The Government has launched an alarming complaint about serious irregularities in the management of funds intended for victims of the armed conflict in the country. According to a recent audit, it was found that more than 4.2 billion pesos (equivalent to approximately 1.1 million dollars or one million euros) have been lost, directly affecting the compensation of more than nine million people registered as victims in Colombia. .
The director of the Victims Unit, Patricia Tobón, reported on this worrying finding, highlighting that complaints about possible irregularities reached the control bodies and the Attorney General’s Office. Given this situation, the Transparency Office of the Presidency of the Republic was asked to audit the victim reparation fund.
The results of the audit revealed million-dollar losses between the years 2018 and 2020, corresponding to the Government of Iván Duque. These losses are attributed to irregularities in the rental of properties and in the marketing of goods that should have been used to compensate the victims of the conflict.
In parallel with the audit, the Victims Unit has undertaken actions to improve the situation and avoid further property damage. However, the impact of these losses on victims is significant, and authorities must take steps to remedy the situation.
Within the framework of the National Day for Victims in Colombia, the vice president and Minister of Equality, Francia Márquez, expressed the Government’s commitment to eradicating corruption in the Victims Unit. Márquez denounced that in previous governments this address became a “political fortress” where the rights of the victims were violated and illicit businesses were allowed.
The situation worsens with the statements of the Secretary of Transparency of the Presidency, Andrés Idárraga, who assured that there were irregularities in the lease of 17 properties delivered by paramilitaries and intended to repair victims.
Although nearly 1,970 million pesos have been recovered this year through the formalization of the banking of resources, an exhaustive investigation by the competent authorities is pending to determine the veracity of the losses and corruption in the victims’ fund, as well as identify those responsible for these acts.