Senator Wilmer Carrillo sentenced to prison in Colombia; Ecuador and Italy partner on anti-mafia law

Colombia's Supreme Court has sentenced Senator Wilmer Ramiro Carrillo Mendoza to 102 months and one day in prison. The conviction stems from irregularities in a 2010 road construction contract in Norte de Santander, funded by the National Institute of Roads (Invías). The court found that the contract for the Salazar-Arboledas route was processed without necessary studies and included selection terms that restricted competition. Carrillo was also fined 125 monthly minimum wages and barred from holding public office for 114 months. He was acquitted of embezzlement charges.

In Ecuador, the National Assembly and the Italian Mission are collaborating to develop an anti-mafia law to combat organized crime. During a binational meeting, Assembly President Mishel Mancheno and Italian Ambassador Giovanni Davoli discussed strengthening judicial and security institutions through the ITAJUS 2 project. The initiative aims to adopt legal frameworks similar to Italy's experience to disrupt criminal financing and operations. The event also honored the memory of deceased prosecutors César Suárez and Marcelo Vásconez.