All too often, multitudes of politicians, businessmen and other individuals congregate behind closed doors and effectively divide up the State between them, looting it to receive the “spoils of war”. To that end, the State becomes more of a marketplace, and rather than serving its citizens, is nothing more than a source of “income” for the corrupt, very much to the detriment of the most vulnerable Colombians.
But, what if someone dared to show how politicians engage in these different activities? What would happen if the public knew with whom their public servants meet? Or if the databases detailing the income of public sector workers that currently lie within public entities were published and therefore provided the hard proof of what we all know is the reality? Maybe we could save our democracy?
This is at the very heart of CabilVeo’s mission. CabilVeo is the lastest initiative from the Anti-Corruption Institute, which seeks to publish as open source data all relevant information regarding the appointments, trips taken and gifts received by public officials across different government entities. To this end, we seek to bring greater visibility to the otherwise hidden and corrupt power networks within the country.
You, too, can join us in our crusade as we fight to ensure ours is a country free from corruption.
Report of Findings
Records of entrances and meetings from MicTIC connected to the Digital Centers project
The Anti-Corruption Institute has made public (to journalists and wider citizens) the records of any entrances and meetings held by the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications that relate to the processes to design, award and supervise the contractual process FTIC-LP-038-2020. This process set the conditions for the implementation of the Digital Centers project in region B, which was awarded from the Special Fund for Information and Communication Technologies (Fondo Único de las Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones) to the Temporary Union of Populated Centers (Unión Temporal Centros Poblados).
Media
Alexander Vega and the business behind electoral reform
On 27 October 2020, the Anti-Corruption Institute and the Peace & Reconciliation Foundation presented their most recent findings from an investigation that is part of the CabilVeo project.
Camilo Enciso, Director of the Anti-Corruption Institute, highlighted some entries into the National Registry of Civil Status, including Alberto Dimaté, who was member of Cundinamarc’s Assembly before being dismissed for incidences of corruption after it transpired that he asked for 10% commission to award contracts. Alvaro Cruz, who was convicted of corruption related to the case of the hiring ‘carousel’, among others, also appeared on the registry.
Enciso also stressed that simply finding the information has been a great legal battle, since requests for the provision of these details from the appointments register have been denied on the grounds that the Registrar does not have a manual or digital agenda. However, the Excellence in Justice Corporation had access to some of the people who had meetings with the Registrar.
The controversial visits to Minister Carrasquilla
Publication El Poder (“The Power”) had access to an investigation carried out by the Anti-Corruption Institute, which enabled hundreds of people to see who had been recorded as arriving to visit different Ministers or Ministers and Directors of State institutions.
Blood is thicker than water…
In the El Espectador newspaper, Camilo Enciso, Director of the Anti-Corruption Institute, presented one of the discoveries made during the CabilVeo Project. The findings present the arrival of Claudia Daza (also known as Cayita Daza, a former adviser to Álvaro Uribe), Álvaro Eduardo Pupo (who is linked to paramilitary processes), and Nixon José Cáez (a major contractor from the César department) to the ICBF offices [ICBF is Colombia’s national Family Welfare office]. In the list of arrivals, it appears that the three visitors were headed to the office of Juliana Pungiluppi, the former Director of the ICBF. However, Pungiluppi asserted that she met only with Daza.
These meetings throw up a series of questions to which Enciso seeks an explanation from National Government, given that “Cayita” Daza could exploit her position as an official from the Congress of the Republic in order to benefit a third party.
Noticias Uno | Case of “greasing the wheels” in the Department of Social Prosperity
On 7 March 2020, Camilo Enciso, Director of the Anti-Corruption Institute, appeared on Noticias Uno, where he discussed the arrival of Senator Eduardo Pulgar to the office of Susana Correa, Director of the Department for Social Prosperity (DPS). He was accompanied by Antonio de Jesus Barandica, who was later named DPS Atlantic Regional Director.
Noticias Uno | Minister Carrasquilla receives many gifts
Camilo Enciso, Director of the Anti-Corruption Institute, appeared on Noticias Uno to discuss the CabilVeo project and the first round of information that has been received and analyzed. It focused on the gifts received by Colombia’s Minister of Finance, Alberto Carrasquilla, which include bottles of liquor, bottles, books and handmade goods, among other things.