Colombian Senator Martha Peralta Remains Detained During UNGRD Corruption Probe

A Bogotá family judge denied a habeas corpus request filed by the defense of Senator Martha Peralta Epieyú, keeping her in police custody while the Supreme Court continues its investigation. The judge ruled that the habeas petition was not the proper mechanism to overturn the capture order originally issued by Supreme Court magistrate Cristina Lombana on 18 June.

Peralta, a member of the Pacto Histórico coalition, is accused of directing contracts for the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD). Investigators focus on a October 2023 contract worth COP 2.17 billion for 7,500 hours of yellow‑machinery and dump trucks intended for works in Riohacha, La Guajira. Testimony suggests she sought to secure the contract to support her political campaign and to influence votes in the Senate's Seventh Commission. She is scheduled for further questioning on 22 June and will remain under house arrest pending the court’s decisions.