The government of President Gustavo Petro revived the scandal of irregular campaign contributions in the 2014 presidential elections. For this reason, Justice Minister Andrés Idárraga has just sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General requesting information about the"number 3" official in the Odebrecht scandal.
Acting Justice Minister Andrés Idárraga sent a formal letter to the U.S. Attorney General's Office requesting information about the"number 3 official" in the Odebrecht case, the high-ranking official who allegedly received millions in bribes.https://t.co/if1kX8qDUN — Revista Semana (@RevistaSemana)
December 4, 2025
The two-page letter requests the cooperation of the United States justice system and is clear from the heading on the need for the Colombian government to be given information about the mysterious official "number 3," who is known to have traveled to this country and recounted the details of one of the biggest corruption scandals in recent times.
CamScanner_3-12-25_11.20 by Felipe Andrés Morales Mogollón
“Subject: Request for Information for the individualization of ‘Colombian official 3’ within the framework of the Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA), signed between Corficolombiana Grupo Aval, the Maryland District Attorney’s Office and the Fraud Section, Criminal Division of the Department of Justice,” reads the heading of the request, signed by the same minister Andrés Idárraga.
The matter relates to the Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA), signed on August 1, 2023, between the Colombian Financial Corporation S.A. (Corficolombiana), the Aval Group Shares and Securities S.A. (Grupo Aval), the Maryland District Attorney's Office and the Fraud Section, Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice.
In this agreement, the United States Government, under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which addressed the events that occurred during the execution of the Ruta del Sol road project, revealed the identity of the so-called"Colombian official No. 3," involved in the scandal and whose name is still a mystery in Colombia.
However, the clues are clear, and the letter sent by Minister Idárraga highlights the importance of this person in the Government.
“Specifically, in the legally relevant facts incorporated in the Agreement, they allude to the criminal participation of a high-ranking official of the Executive Branch of the Colombian Government, who is systematically referred to as the ‘Colombian official 3’, and who would have exercised his functions between the years 2010 and 2018,” reads the letter with which he seeks to open Pandora’s box of this scandal and find this important witness and participant in the corrupt acts.
The mysterious “Colombian official no. 3” is known to the United States justice system, and the letter states: “For the Government of Colombia, in terms of truth and the fight against corruption, the individualization of the person referred to as ‘Colombian official 3’,beneficiary of corrupt payments, is fundamental, especially since the text of the Agreement specifies that his identity is known to the competent authorities of the United States of America.”
The request is clear and so is the purpose: the Petro Government —through the Ministry of Justice— requires all information about this mysterious citizen who, it is worth reiterating, held a very important position in the Government (Executive Branch) during the entire term of President Juan Manuel Santos, that is, between 2010 and 2018.
“It is respectfully requested that the Government of Colombia, through the Ministry of Justice and Law, and/or, subsidiarily, the Attorney General's Office, be provided with complete information on said individual, along with the supporting documents from which the authorities of the United States of America established the identity of ‘Colombian official 3’,” reads the letter, which leaves open the possibility that this information will be given to the Attorney General's Office.
