Defense seeks to remove Medellín mayor from Aguas Vivas case

The Aguas Vivas corruption case against former Medellín mayor Daniel Quintero and 12 others resumed on July 2, 2026, with the defense launching a multipronged legal offensive to disqualify current Mayor Federico Gutiérrez as the city's legal representative and to strip the District of its victim status.

Defense arguments

The defense, representing Imputados including Quintero, argued that Gutiérrez has a conflict of interest because he signed the original 2019 contract ceding the 146,000-square-meter lot in El Poblado to the city Source: El Tiempo. They requested that the Comptroller's Office replace Gutiérrez as the victim's representative. Additionally, a defense attorney argued that the public treasury suffered no financial harm from the land deal, asking the court not to recognize the District as a victim Source: El Tiempo. The defense also sought the nullity of the charges, claiming the prosecution failed to clearly explain the alleged crimes and co-authorship Source: El Colombiano.

Prosecution response

Prosecutor Yarlecy Mena firmly rejected the nullity request, stating that “one thing is not understanding and another very different is not accepting or disagreeing” Source: El Tiempo. She maintained that all defendants understood the charges. The court had recently recognized Medellín as a victim, a decision supported by Council President Alejandro De Bedout Source: Infobae. The prosecution alleges the irregularities caused a potential $40 billion peso loss .