The Prosecutor’s Office 40 Section of Public Administration of Medellín has taken a decisive step in what is emerging as one of the darkest chapters of recent administrative corruption in Antioquia. The accusing body will formally request the security measure against the former director of the Aburrá Valley Metropolitan Area (AMVA), Juan David Palacio Cardona, a key member of the circle of trust of former mayor Daniel Quintero.
The “modus operandi”: Direct hiring and diverted resources
The investigation focuses on six contracts signed between 2020 and 2021 that total more than $18,656 million. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the entity used the “management support” modality to skip public tenders, despite the fact that the contractual objects required supplies and activities that did not fit into said legal exception.
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The balance of this scheme would have been the irregular seizure of $2,481 million pesos. What aggravates the scandal is the origin of these funds: money originally intended for risk management and emergency response in the ten municipalities of the Aburrá Valley.
Officials in the eye of the hurricane
The hearing, scheduled for January 26 at 3:00 PM, will not only put Palacio on the bench. The court will also charge two former environmental deputy directors who were decisive in the execution of the expense:
Ana María Roldán Ortiz (period 2020-2021).
Diana María Montoya Velilla (period 2021-2024), who also acted as expense organizer.
The crimes to be charged include embezzlement by appropriation and undue interest in the execution of contracts.
An organized structure
For the Prosecutor’s Office, these are not isolated administrative errors, but rather a coordinated structure. The previous capture of Misael Cadavid Jaramillo (Director of Firefighters) and María Yaneth Rúa reinforces the thesis that the looting of the AMVA and Metroparques would have been directed under the shadow of the political power of the 2020-2023 administration.
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The political factor
The judicial process coincides with a sensitive political moment. Juan David Palacio is not only close to the Quintero brothers, but he is the son of Óscar Iván Palacio, current candidate for the Senate of the Republic for the Green Party, which adds a layer of tension to the development of the hearings that will begin next week.
Due to corruption scandal in the AMVA, they will ask for prison for Juan David Palacio, Quintero’s record
Jail! Yes gentlemen.
Misael Cadavid and Janeth Rúa were sent to prison for corruption in the Daniel Quintero Metropolitan Area.
It is time for Juan David Palacio to surrender to justice and speak about the leader of the gang.
They’re coming for you! https://t.co/Gp8t5fpDs0
— Andrés Tobón (@tobonvillada) October 15, 2025