Former Ibagué Mayor Andrés Hurtado Convicted for Misusing Public Stadium

A Colombian court in Ibagué found former mayor Andrés Fabián Hurtado criminally responsible for the crime of peculado by use, after he held a private birthday celebration for his son in the Manuel Murillo Toro Stadium. The first‑instance ruling, issued by the Octavo Penal del Circuito de Ibagué, also implicated former municipal sports institute manager Alejandro Ortiz for the same conduct.

Councilman Andrés Zambrano denounced the judgment, warning that the case reflects a broader problem of public officials treating municipal assets as personal property. He called for the decision to be upheld on appeal and for the higher tribunal to prevent the case from being dismissed on procedural grounds.