# Colombian political conflict over administration conduct > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/colombian-political-conflict-over-administration-conduct > Updated: 2026-08-27T17:18:52.000Z. Sources: 41. Developments: 4. Political tensions in Colombia have escalated between the current administration of President Abelardo de la Espriella and the former administration of Gustavo Petro. Following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake on August 10, Petro criticized the government’s disaster response as “absurdamente ineficaz” (absurdly ineffective). This dispute was compounded by discrepancies in casualty reports; while the government cited 289 deaths and 143 missing persons, Medicina Legal reported 348 missing persons. In response to these tensions, the National Electoral Council authorized the Pacto Histórico party, led by Petro and Iván Cepeda, to exercise a right to reply for a duration of 18 minutes and 48 seconds. To address the needs of 450 affected municipalities, President de la Espriella has introduced the ‘Plan Milagro de Reconstrucción’. Simultaneously, President de la Espriella has launched a formal investigation into the previous administration via a 135-page report titled ‘El libro de la verdad’ (The Book of Truth). Submitted to oversight bodies including the Fiscalía, Procuraduría, and Contraloría, the report alleges widespread corruption and mismanagement across sectors such as the penitentiary system, community infrastructure, and land reform. The document specifically targets the agricultural sector, alleging ‘waste’ and ‘politicking’ regarding agrarian reform. It holds former minister Martha Carvajalino responsible for alleged mismanagement and questions the efficiency of a 22 trillion peso investment relative to land titling results. While described as a “political-technical diagnosis” rather than conclusive judicial proof, the findings may impact international consortia, including Spanish firms. Former President Petro has dismissed these claims, stating the document describes legitimate public policies rather than criminal acts. ## Claims - The government reported 289 deaths, 4,187 injuries, and 143 missing persons. (disputed by 3 sources) - Medicina Legal reported 348 missing persons, significantly higher than the government figure. (disputed by 2 sources) - President Abelardo De la Espriella submitted a document titled 'El libro de la verdad' to Colombian oversight bodies. (corroborated by 17 sources) - The report contains over 80 alleged cases of corruption from the Gustavo Petro administration. (corroborated by 17 sources) - The document consists of 135 pages. (corroborated by 8 sources) - Former President Gustavo Petro criticized the government's earthquake response as absurdly ineffective. (corroborated by 7 sources) - Gustavo Petro announced he will exercise his legal right to reply to the presidential address. (corroborated by 6 sources) - A parallel payroll of approximately 900,000 service contracts is alleged to exist. (corroborated by 4 sources) - The earthquake affected 450 municipalities across 15 departments. (corroborated by 3 sources) - President Abelardo de la Espriella introduced the 'Plan Milagro de Reconstrucción' to aid earthquake victims. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The report details irregularities in UNGRD involving 856,000 million pesos. (corroborated by 3 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-27: Abelardo de la Espriella releases ‘Libro de la Verdad’ alleging corruption The Abelardo de la Espriella administration released the ‘Libro de la Verdad,’ a document alleging corruption in Gustavo Petro’s government, specifically targeting agricultural reform and spending. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/abelardo-de-la-espriella-releases-libro-de-la-verdad-alleging-corruption ### 2026-08-23: Abelardo de la Espriella presents ‘Libro de la Verdad’ corruption report Abelardo de la Espriella presented the ‘Libro de la Verdad’, a report alleging corruption and administrative irregularities during Gustavo Petro’s administration in Colombia. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/abelardo-de-la-espriella-presents-libro-de-la-verdad-corruption-report ### 2026-08-18: Abelardo De la Espriella submits corruption report against Petro administration President Abelardo De la Espriella submitted ‘El libro de la verdad’ to Colombian authorities, alleging over 80 cases of corruption during Gustavo Petro's administration, including UNGRD fund mismanagement. 27 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/santander-authorities-destroy-20-illegal-fuel-theft-valves ### 2026-08-18: Colombia: Petro challenges earthquake response and seeks right to reply Former President Gustavo Petro is challenging President Abelardo de la Espriella’s earthquake response, citing ineffective aid and conflicting casualty figures, and has requested a legal right to reply. 13 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/gustavo-petro-disputes-earthquake-response-and-casualty-figures --- Cite as: Colombian political conflict over administration conduct. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/colombian-political-conflict-over-administration-conduct