Colombia’s Supreme Court has authorized the arrest of Senator Martha Peralta as part of its ongoing probe into the corruption scandal linked to the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), considered one of the country’s most prominent public corruption cases in recent years. The ruling was issued to guarantee the senator’s presence before the court during the judicial proceedings connected to the investigation.
According to the investigation, Peralta is being examined for her alleged involvement in the irregular awarding of public contracts linked to disaster risk management projects. Prosecutors and the court are reviewing evidence that includes witness testimony and documentation connected to the alleged direction of contracts in the department of La Guajira. The senator has consistently denied any wrongdoing and maintains that the accusations against her are unfounded.
The arrest order arises as part of a wider judicial push to define the duties of public officials and legislators allegedly tied to the UNGRD case, a scandal that began with questionable contracts and the handling of emergency funds but has since widened to implicate multiple current and former authorities, turning it into one of Colombia’s most extensive corruption probes in recent years.
Following the court’s decision, Peralta was taken into custody while the legal proceedings continue. Her defense sought to challenge the detention through legal remedies, arguing that the measure was unnecessary, but the judicial process remains underway as the Supreme Court advances its inquiry.
The case continues to attract considerable political scrutiny, with investigators working to clarify the scope of the alleged corruption network and the involvement attributed to each person under inquiry. Authorities have emphasized that the judicial proceedings will move forward in compliance with Colombian law while safeguarding the rights of all parties concerned.
Source: EL PAÍS and https://elpais.com/america-colombia/2026-06-19/la-corte-suprema-ordena-la-captura-de-la-congresista-martha-peralta-por-el-escandalo-de-corrupcion-de-la-ungrd.html