Colombian presidential candidate Iván Cepeda announced a criminal complaint against his electoral rival, Abelardo De La Espriella, over alleged irregularities involving the management of resources from the country’s healthcare system. The allegations focus on the actions of the law firm representing the now-defunct Saludvida health insurer.
According to Cepeda, De La Espriella Lawyers was retained by Saludvida back in 2018, at a time when the company faced oversight from health regulators and eventually transitioned into liquidation. The left-leaning politician alleges that the agreement involved healthcare system assets, raising doubts about the legitimacy of deploying those monies to pay for legal representation.
The legal action brought forward by Cepeda outlines five suspected infractions: violation of fiduciary responsibilities, corruption within the private sector, procedural deception, embezzlement of state monies, and the unauthorized diversion of public assets toward unofficial ends. The presidential hopeful contends that these purported anomalies transpired amidst a severe operational and monetary downturn experienced by Saludvida.
Cepeda additionally drew attention to an operation regarding the assets of Saludvida. Based on his claims, amid the insurance provider’s downturn, multiple real estate properties were handed over to an enterprise named Lithia Investment S.A.S. The deal was purportedly estimated at hundreds of billions of Colombian pesos.
The left-wing candidate further claimed that the actions under investigation affected Saludvida’s policyholders. According to his complaint, more than 1.6 million users were affected by the company’s situation before the insurer was ultimately liquidated.
The accusations emerge right before the second phase of Colombia’s presidential runoff and intensify the escalating clash between the two contenders. Earlier, Cepeda had leveled charges against De La Espriella regarding purported connections to paramilitary factions.
De La Espriella has rejected the accusations made by his rival, arguing that they are unfounded. His team has defended the lawyer’s professional activities as being conducted within the framework of the law and has characterized the complaints as part of the political dispute between the two presidential candidates.
Source: Página/12 — https://www.pagina12.com.ar/2026/06/15/cepeda-denuncio-a-de-la-espriella-por-presunta-corrupcion-en-el-sistema-de-salud/
