Bogotá (AFP) – The opposition of the government of right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella rejected this Friday the response of the foundation of the first lady of Colombia regarding the management of resources from the earthquake that occurred last August.

First modification: 11/09/2026 - 12:21

Ana Lucía Pineda, the president's wife, is in charge of a good part of the private contributions to care for hundreds of thousands of people affected and repair the damage caused by the 7.4 magnitude earthquake.

A judge this week ordered Pineda and his Luz y Sonrisas Foundation to publish detailed accounts of the donations, following a judicial appeal filed by leftist senator Alejandro Ocampo.

"We are going to send a letter to the judge telling him that of the eight points that he required to be answered, only one was answered," Ocampo told journalist Daniell Coronell on his YouTube channel.

"I'm going to file an incident of contempt," he said when expressing his disagreement with the response received this Friday.

In its response to the judge's order, the first lady's foundation said it did not receive public resources to care for victims of the earthquake in Colombia.

"The Foundation (...) does not exercise public functions, does not provide public services and does not receive or manage public resources," says a document obtained by AFP.

The foundation did not provide detailed accounting records, receipts or bank statements, relying on the legal reserve that covers its books and private documents, the response document says.

The foundation specifies, however, that it received 17 million dollars, as well as humanitarian aid from the United States, Spain and Panama.

81% of the economic resources were allocated to the reconstruction of educational institutions in Cali, the document adds.

Opponents and some local media question that the donations announced by De la Espriella on his social networks total more than 200 million dollars.

The opposition points out that although they are not public resources, the fact that they are donations for the care of earthquake victims forces the foundation to be accountable.

© 2026 AFP

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