With the nod from Abelardo De La Espriella’s government, the Ecopetrol board – chaired by Luis Felipe Henao – approved a forensic audit to investigate 5 major corruption scandals in the state company, linked to contracts and appointments. As revealed by EL TIEMPO’s Investigative Unit, not only will the reviews of the Termomorichal I and II businesses and the Gaxi case (for which the Prosecutor’s Office is investigating Ricardo Roa) be revived.
In addition, the alleged interference of former first lady Verónica Alcocer and alias el bachiller or ‘Jorge A.’, a powerful contractor with influence in the Santander regions who allegedly paid for two vice presidencies and several positions in the Ecopetrol Group will be investigated. However, a last-minute maneuver would end up halting the audit and, at the same time, installing a Petro supporter on the state company’s board.
The Letter from De La Espriella’s Government
Information that has already reached De La Espriella’s Government indicates that a hidden struggle has been unleashed for the seat of that board member who chairs the Audit Committee, which will lead the internal investigation and who is the financial expert that Ecopetrol accredits before the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
This is Ricardo Rodríguez Yee, representative of the oil and gas producing departments and who – along with Luis Felipe Henao – opposed decisions of the board, a Petro majority, including the retention of Ricardo Roa, despite having two criminal charges against him.
“It was not an improvised assignment. Rodríguez Yee has chaired the Audit and Risk Committee since February 2026, also chairs the Business Committee, and is the person the company reports as the financial expert of the audit committee to the New York Stock Exchange,” they said from Ecopetrol itself.
And the Investigative Unit obtained exclusively a letter from the Minister of Finance, Miguel Gómez, to the governors, in which he reminds them that Rodríguez Yee’s institutional term runs until 2029 and asks that his ratification be notified.
Rebellion of Governors?
But sources from the Government itself confirmed to EL TIEMPO that at least two governors will refuse to follow the high government’s guidelines and are promoting another person for that seat on the board.
It is about the outgoing magistrate of the National Electoral Council (CNE) Maritza Martínez, wife of former senator and former governor of Meta Luis Carlos Torres Rueda, removed by the Attorney General’s Office.
By simple statutory arithmetic, if that position is changed, it forces the retention on the board of one of the directors appointed in the previous government.
Hildebrando or Merlano?
Indeed, the oil company’s bylaws reserve the eighth slot on the slate for a representative of the producing departments: Arauca, Boyacá, Casanare, Huila, Meta, and Santander.
And, furthermore, require that the slate include at least one member expert in financial matters, which in this case is Rodríguez Yee.
(Check here all the articles from EL TIEMPO’s Investigative Unit)
But, if he leaves, besides failing to meet those requirements, one of the Petro government’s remaining picks would be installed on the board: Hildebrando Vélez, father of former minister Irene Vélez, or Alberto Merlano Alcocer, relative of the former first lady and one of the potential subjects of investigation.
The First Signatures
In some sectors of the Government, this decision is already considered as a first distancing of some local leaders from the directives of the new Executive.
And although the position of all governors will only be known this week, EL TIEMPO has already seen a draft letter in response to Minister Gómez stating that they will not ratify Rodríguez Yee and that they will carry out a new selection process.
The letter has not yet been filed with the Ministry of Finance because it lacks four of the six governors’ signatures.
INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
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