Three months after the earthquake in Colombia, a judge ordered the foundation of Ana Lucía Pineda, wife of President Abelardo de la Espriella, to detail the use of private contributions for the victims of the August 10 tragedy, which left at least 330 dead and destroyed more than 30,000 homes. The opposition and some local media claim that the figures do not match and that humanitarian aid does not reach the most affected areas.

First modification: 09/11/2026 - 01:29Last modification: 09/11/2026 - 01:43

A judge ordered the first lady of Colombia, Ana Lucía Pineda, to publish within 48 hours of her notification the detailed accounts of the donations her foundation received to care for the victims of the devastating earthquake that occurred on August 10, a ruling that was known on November 5.

The decision responds to a judicial appeal presented by the senator of the Historical Pact (left) Alejandro Ocampo.

“Now we are going to know where the money is,” Ocampo said in a video published on his X social network account.

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According to a document to which the AFP agency had access, the judge ordered the 'Fundación Colombia Luz y Sonrisas' to deliver a "management report" in which it details "in a clear, precise, consistent manner" what it did with the contributions it "received, managed, channeled or distributed."

It is not the first legal action against the foundation. In September, courts in Bogotá and Barranquilla had already admitted guardianships that demanded details about the funds.

Read alsoPereiranos look for a way to resume their lives after the 7.4 earthquake in Colombia

Ana Lucía Pineda, wife of far-right president Abelardo de la Espriella, 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 that left at least 330 dead and destroyed more than 30,000 homes.

After the earthquake, the Government authorized three organizations to receive donations: the emerging Pineda foundation and the renowned Minuto de Dios Corporation and the Ábaco foundation. According to the independent media 'La Silla Vacía', the first lady's entity is the only one authorized to receive money from abroad.

The foundation, created shortly after the president's election, reported last October that it had received more than 17 million dollars (54,589,523,791 Colombian pesos) in donations, all coming from the private sector, according to 'La Silla Vacía'. According to the same media, 81% of the contributions came from the Gilinski family.

The report indicates that the donations are intended for the reconstruction of three schools and three health centers in the city of Cali.

However, the opposition and some local media maintain that the donations announced by De la Espriella on his social networks total more than 200 million dollars. They also affirm that, almost three months after the tragedy, aid does not reach the most affected areas, in the west of the country, where losses are estimated at about 9.5 billion dollars.

In its report, the foundation divides its management into two phases. The first, with the motto “safeguarding lives,” was carried out with the “Colombia, one heart” campaign, headed by Pineda. According to the document, more than 5,652 tons of humanitarian aid were delivered to 80 municipalities and more than 1,250 volunteers, 30 collection centers, more than 100 companies and 24 transportation and logistics companies were involved.

The second phase, “reconstruction”, includes alliances to rebuild three schools and three health centers in Cali and to build 35 new houses in Quibdó (Chocó) and Dosquebradas (Risaralda).

The report indicates that 48,000 people received humanitarian aid, without specifying what type. Nor does it detail the money spent in the places where thousands of homes, schools and hospitals were left in ruins.

In an interview with the 'Telecaribe' channel, Pineda assured that the resources were not used "because the humanitarian aid was sufficient" and that the money will be allocated to the reconstruction phase.

On October 31, the first lady inaugurated some fences in a municipality in the department of Caldas, in the west of the country, but did not deliver homes or aid, which generated criticism.

With AFP and local media

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