BOGOTA — Colombia’s first lady on Friday denied allegations of irregularities in the management of donations for victims of a devastating earthquake, releasing a report detailing the millions of dollars her foundation has collected.
Ana Lucía Pineda, wife of President Abelardo de la Espriella, oversees a significant portion of the private contributions meant to assist hundreds of thousands of people affected by the 7.4-magnitude quake that struck on August 10.
Opposition leaders and survivors say that more than two months after the disaster, aid has yet to reach the hardest-hit areas in western Colombia, where losses are estimated at $9.5 billion.
“There is nothing to hide. I don’t need to keep even a grain of anyone’s rice,” Pineda said in an interview with Telecaribe.
Her foundation, Luz y Sonrisas, which was established before the earthquake, has received more than $17 million, according to the figures presented.
The report states that more than 48,000 people have received humanitarian assistance, though it does not specify the type of aid distributed.
It also fails to detail how much money has been spent in regions where thousands of homes, schools, and hospitals remain in ruins.
“We have not used those funds because there was enough humanitarian aid,” Pineda said, adding that the money would be allocated for a second phase of reconstruction.
Senate Vice President Alejandro Ocampo, an opposition lawmaker, questioned the foundation’s figures and demanded a full accounting of “how much money was received, who provided it, which accounts it was deposited into, and how much has been spent.”
Ocampo noted that several countries had pledged donations for victims and criticized the failure to disburse funds while families who lost everything are still sleeping outdoors.
The funds raised by Pineda’s foundation do not include public money.
The earthquake killed more than 330 people and destroyed more than 30,000 homes.
According to the foundation’s report, it has delivered 5,600 tons of aid, including water and food, across eight departments.