The Colombian Attorney General’s Office decided to close the investigation against former Bogota mayor—and current presidential candidate—Claudia Lopez over alleged corruption in the capital’s metro construction budget.
The case originated more than two years ago following a complaint published by the magazine Semana, which pointed to possible diversion of funds toward political campaigns linked to her circle.
The decision brings to an end a preliminary process centered on alleged irregular payments and illegal political financing. According to the Attorney General’s Office, no evidence was found to support the accusations, which closes the case in criminal terms and, for now, removes one of the most visible challenges facing the candidate.
Colombia closes investigation into Claudia Lopez over alleged corruption involving metro funds
The investigation focused on the hypothesis that resources associated with the Bogota metro project had been diverted to benefit campaigns of the Green Alliance party, including that of Senator Angelica Lozano, Lopez’s spouse. The complaint referred to multimillion-dollar figures and a possible corruption scheme built around public contracts.
However, after more than two years of inquiries, the Attorney General’s Office concluded that there was not sufficient material evidence to support that version. The investigative body ruled out the existence of bribes and found no evidence that metro funds had been used for purposes other than those established in the contracts.
Closing the case means the investigation will not move forward to later stages, such as formal charges or a trial. In legal terms, it means there is no basis to continue criminal action, although the decision could be reassessed if new evidence emerges in the future.
The investigation originated from wiretaps ordered by the Attorney General’s Office in 2022 on the communications of Jose Joaquin Silva Ardila, a former official of the Ministry of Transport. In them, he is heard speaking about his conversations with a Chinese citizen, in which there were allegedly acts of corruption in the construction of the Bogotá Metro.
The case was publicized by the local magazine Semana and generated a strong political impact. The report echoed these wiretaps and raised the possibility of irregularities in the management of metro funds, one of the most important and sensitive projects for Bogotá.
In the conversations, the payment of bribes of more than 12 billion pesos (approximately US$3.5 million) was mentioned, as well as the alleged financing of Angelica Lozano’s campaign. Nevertheless, the investigation concluded that, after reviewing the intercepted communications of the aforementioned official Silva Ardila, there were no elements confirming improper payments or the participation of Claudia Lopez in acts of corruption.
In this regard, the investigation notes that the order to close the case will remain in place until “new evidentiary elements eventually emerge.”
The subway and Lopez’s integrity are at the center of the debate
The Bogota metro project has for years been a symbol of the country’s structural difficulties in infrastructure. Its technical complexity, high cost, and political relevance make it a particularly sensitive issue.
In that context, any allegation of corruption has an amplified impact. The possibility that resources intended for the project may have been diverted generated public concern and fueled skepticism about public management.
During Claudia Lopez’s administration as mayor, the metro was one of the pillars of her government. For that reason, the accusations not only questioned her political circle, but also the transparency of one of the most important projects of her tenure.
The shelving of the investigation reduces the pressure on that front, at least from a judicial standpoint. However, the debate over the execution of the project and its management will continue to be a matter of public discussion.
Claudia Lopez, for her part, who always defended her innocence, expressed satisfaction with the judicial decision. “The truth takes time, but it arrives and is non-negotiable; what is unacceptable is that lies continue to be spread even after they have been disproven in court, with an evident political purpose of defamation,” she wrote on her account on the social media platform X.
The now-presidential candidate also took the opportunity to criticize the then-director of Semana magazine and, until less than two months ago, presidential candidate Vicky Davila. “Justice proved us right: Vicky Davila’s ‘revelations’ and those of Semana against us were always completely FALSE,” she concluded.
La justicia nos dio la razón: “las revelaciones” de Vicky Dávila y Revista Semana en nuestra contra siempre fueron totalmente FALSAS. La Fiscalía corroboró que nunca nos hemos robado ni un peso, a pesar de todos los rumores e injurias que quisieron venderle a la ciudadanía sobre… pic.twitter.com/6s7VJyvBzf
— Claudia López Hernández (@ClaudiaLopez) April 23, 2026