Aníbal Gaviria acquitted by Supreme Court in Troncal de la Paz case

The Supreme Court of Justice has acquitted Aníbal Gaviria Correa, the former governor of Antioquia and former mayor of Medellín, of charges including embezzlement and contracting without meeting legal requirements. The ruling, issued by the Special Chamber of First Instance, determined that evidence did not prove criminal responsibility regarding irregularities in the Troncal de la Paz road project.

The case stemmed from a public works contract signed during Gaviria’s first term as governor between 2005 and 2007, aimed at improving road connections in the Nordeste and Bajo Cauca regions of Antioquia. While the prosecution questioned modifications to the contract—such as increasing the advance payment from 25% to 29% and adding funds for a bridge over the Nechí River—the Court found that these changes did not constitute crimes.

Although the Court noted that the bridge construction exceeded the original scope of the contract and should have undergone an independent selection process, it concluded that this irregularity could not be criminally attributed to Gaviria. The Court ordered the case to be archived.