Colombia: Colombian presidential candidate Cepeda unveils anti-corruption plan ahead of election.

SHOTLIST: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (MAY 28, 2026) 1. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COLOMBIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IVAN CEPEDA SAYING: “As we have pointed out throughout this electoral campaign and in various speeches I have delivered across the country, the firm and determined fight against corruption, and particularly against grand corruption and macro-corruption that have penetrated broad sectors of the Colombian State, will be an absolute priority and a central pillar of our government’s work... ... To corruption turned into a system, we will oppose the National Anti-Corruption System — a comprehensive, permanent, and coordinated system aimed not only at sanctioning, punishing, and identifying those responsible, but also at dismantling the power structures that have turned public resources into private assets... ... As has been done in other countries across our continent, major corrupt figures will not be allowed house arrest or special judicial benefits that undermine justice. The criminal prosecution of grand corruption will be carried out using investigative methods designed for systemic crimes. No more case-by-case, individual-by-individual investigations; instead, the networks, structures, and corruption schemes themselves will be investigated. The leaders of these structures will be severely punished while, at the same time, criminal incentives will be established for those who provide valuable information that helps recover stolen resources, dismantle corruption organizations, and redirect those resources toward public spending and social programs... ... Allow me to announce today that former minister, former magistrate, and current ambassador to Italy, Iván Velásquez Gómez, will lead the National Anti-Corruption System in my government and will be responsible for directing, organizing, and putting its operations into motion. Ambassador Velásquez, as you know, possesses the qualifications and experience necessary to carry out this strategic task within the State... ... His work contributed decisively to dismantling extensive criminal networks infiltrated into Colombian politics. In 2013, he was also appointed by the United Nations as head of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, CICIG, from where he led landmark investigations against high-level corruption networks, including the La Línea case, which led to the resignation and prosecution of then-President Otto Pérez Molina and other high-ranking Guatemalan officials..." BOGOTA, COLOMBIA - MAY 28: Colombian presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda announced plans to establish a National Anti-Corruption System if elected, during a press conference in Bogota on Thursday, May 28, ahead of the country’s presidential election scheduled for May 31. Cepeda, a candidate from the Pacto Historico coalition led by President Gustavo Petro, said the fight against corruption, particularly large-scale corruption within state institutions, would be a central pillar of his administration. “The firm and determined fight against corruption ... will be an absolute priority and a central pillar of our government’s work,” Cepeda said. He said the proposed system would be a permanent and coordinated mechanism aimed not only at punishing corruption but also at dismantling the structures that enable public resources to be diverted for private gain. “To corruption turned into a system, we will oppose the National Anti-Corruption System,” he said. Cepeda also proposed eliminating benefits such as house arrest for individuals convicted of major corruption offenses and pledged to target corruption networks through broader investigations rather than focusing solely on individual cases. The candidate announced that former defense minister and current ambassador Ivan Velasquez Gomez would lead the anti-corruption system if he wins the election. “Allow me to announce today that ... Ivan Velasquez Gomez will lead the National Anti-Corruption System in my government,” Cepeda said. He described Velasquez as a figure with extensive experience in combating corruption, citing his role as head of the UN-backed International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), where he led investigations into major corruption networks. Cepeda said Velasquez’s work had contributed to dismantling criminal structures embedded in politics and highlighted his involvement in investigations that led to the prosecution of senior Guatemalan officials. Colombia has entered the decisive final stretch before the May 31 presidential vote, with candidates Ivan Cepeda, Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia among the leading contenders.