At the heart of the controversy is a strategic piece of land known as ‘Aguas Vivas’, spanning 142,000 square meters (about 35 acres) in Medellín’s  El Poblado neighborhood. The property, with 70% of its area designated as protected rural land, was originally set aside for public use under former mayor Federico Gutiérrez’s administration. In 2019, its owners agreed to donate the area to the city for the development of a park as part of an urban planning agreement.

However, in 2020, under Quintero’s administration, the decision was reversed. The property was returned to its original owners, and a decree was signed reclassifying its use without approval from the Medellín City Council as required by law, significantly increasing its market value. According to the investigation of the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia, Quintero and his administration planned to have the city repurchase the land at an inflated price—close to $50 billion COP ($12 million USD as of the date of publication)—to incorporate it into the ambitious project ‘Valle del Software’. The investigation into Quintero’s administration has also extended to other public contracts and financial management decisions, further entangling several key officials in the legal process.

The Aguas Vivas scandal is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of irregular modifications under Quintero’s administration. Similar allegations have surfaced regarding the neighboring ‘Guacharacas’ and ‘La Volcana’ lots, which had their classification changed from protected land to developable land.

These alterations were designed to benefit private landowners, who would then sell the properties back to the city at inflated prices. However, in July 2024, it was Quintero who first warned about irregularities with these properties, blaming the administration of Federico Gutierrez and asking the prosecutor’s office to investigate.

“I have filed a criminal complaint seeking an investigation into Mayor Federico Gutiérrez and his officials for what I have dubbed the “Lot Cartel” [Cartel de los lotes]. It involved the increase in the value of private lots by the Medellín Mayor’s Office up to 100 times their actual value, which were then transferred to the Medellín real estate fund, enriching their owners in seconds,” Quintero said via X at the time.

However, his allegations have failed to gain traction and he is the one at the spotlight as the case unfolds. The Office of the Attorney General has charged Quintero, nine former officials, and three people from the private sector with crimes including embezzlement, undue interest in public contracts, and malfeasance. Among those under scrutiny are Carlos Mario Montoya Serna, former Secretary of Territorial Management and Control (who allegedly endorsed the unlawful reclassification of the Aguas Vivas property), Sergio Andrés López Muñoz, ex-director of Urban Planning (accused of facilitating the bureaucratic processes that enabled the land’s rezoning), and José Fernando Rueda Salazar, private developer suspected of benefiting from the land deal.

Quintero’s attempt to shift the narrative by launching his presidential campaign in the midst of these accusations has largely backfired. Adding to the controversy, key political allies with legal troubles of their own, attended the event held last week including Senator Álex Flórez, Miguel Quintero (former mayor’s brother) and Óscar Hurtado (former Secretary of Finance of Medellín).

Headline photo: Quintero at the public gathering in Medellín where he announced his presidential candidacy on March 25 (Photo: X / @MiltonQuinonesC)

The Ricardo González indigenous rural school, delivered February 14, is composed of three circular wooden tambo-type modules. Of these, two are equipped for multi-functional classrooms and one for the kitchen, dining room and bathrooms for children. Traditions, customs, symbols and beliefs of the indigenous ethnic group were incorporated into its construction.

The indigenous rural school La Union was delivered March 25, in a special ceremony at 10:00 am, within the Aldeas program, thanks to an inter-administrative association agreement with municipalities of Pueblorrico, Ciudad Bolívar, Murindó, Urrao and El Bagre

Though constructed in traditional Tambo styles with indigenous input, the structures are structurally & mechanically modern. (Photos courtesy of EPM)

With a total investment of $ 179 million pesos (approx. $550,000 USD), these are the 2nd and 3^rd of 10 indigenous schools being constructed by the EPM Aldeas program, which incorporates mature wood from the forest plantations located around EPM hydroelectric reservoirs, to develop sustainable infrastructure that improves the quality of life of vulnerable communities in the region.

Aldeas (meaning ‘villages’) is a sustainability initiative of EPM, in which which the wood from late-stage lifecycle trees is periodically harvested from the more than 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) of forest plantations that the company has around its reservoirs, to return social value through offering a portfolio of construction solutions for communities and territories with a high degree of socio-economic vulnerability and living in areas where EPM is present or builds and operates its energy infrastructure projects.

Between 2011 and 2018, the Aldeas program delivered 1,990 homes, benefiting 10,000 people in 23 municipalities of Antioquia, making the dream of owning or improving their homes come true. Aldeas is a program of environmental and social management for sustainable construction in wood, which includes infrastructure, social and community equipment (environmental classrooms, community halls, schools, playgrounds), tourist infrastructure and fencing.

The 10 indigenous schools are developed thanks to the inter-administrative association agreement between the Indigenous Management Agency of Antioquia, the Departmental Education Secretariat, EPM (Empresas Públicas de Medellín) and the towns of Ciudad Bolivar, Pueblorrico, Murindó, Urrao, Coredo and Bachidubi (municipality of Murindó), Caliche and Penderisco (municipality of Urrao), Hermeregildo Chakiama (municipality of Ciudad Bolívar), Bernardino Panchi (municipality Pueblorrico), Shoibadó (municipality El Bagre), Dojura (Chigorodó municipality), El Polvillo (San Pedro de Urabá) and El Delirio (Caucasia), and El Bagre, in order to “join forces” for the improvement of the quality of life of the indigenous communities within the framework of the Aldeas program for the department of Antioquia.

In addition to the inter-administrative association agreement, the municipalities of Chigorodó, San Pedro de Urabá and Caucasia were also added.

The indigenous schools are distributed throughout Antioquia, as follows:

• Two in the municipality of Murindó (Coredo and Bachidubi communities)
• Two in the municipality of Urrao (Caliche and Penderisco communities)
• One in the municipality of Ciudad Bolívar (community Hermeregildo Chakiama, the Ricardo González school)
• One in the municipality of Pueblorrico (Bernardino Panchi community, La Unión school)
• One in the municipality of El Bagre (indigenous community of Shoibadó, the San Pedro El Puerto school)
• One in the municipality of Chigorodó (Dojura)
• One in the municipality of San Pedro de Urabá (El Polvillo)
• One in the municipality of Caucasia (El Delirio)

The official ceremony and ribbon cutting for the Ciudad Bolivar school took place on February 14 and was attended by the Governor Luis Pérez Gutierrez of the department of Antioquia, Indigenous reserve Governor Albeiro Arcila, the Mayor of Ciudad Bolívar, Antonio Castaño, Ana Milena Joya Camacho, EPM’s Environmental & Social Affairs Manager, and the Indigenous Affairs Manager of Antioquia, Llanedt Rosa Martínez Ruiz.

The financial aspects of this agreement amount to $ 1,719,987,500 COP ($541,142 USD), of which EPM contributes $579,987,500 COP total: $335,000,000 COP cash, $214,987,500 COP in-kind (declared value of the approximately 945 tons of wood), and $30,000,000 COP worth of professional labor in the architectural and design work necessary for the construction of schools.