:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/M3JKXZE3BVEQLAOIG7AZCVMO6A.jpg "Emilio Tapia must pay a million dollar fine for omitting information")
Emilio Tapia, the interviewed entrepreneur who is currently facing criminal convictions for his involvement in the ‘Carousel’ of hiring scandal in Bogotá, has once again made national headlines due to the sanction filed by the Business Superintendence in relation to the high-profile case of Population centers.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the current situation with Emilio Tapia, the controversial board election of the Medellín Chamber of Commerce, the insecurity in the agricultural sector in Colombia, and the ongoing debate surrounding soccer player Falcao García’s age.
Emilio Tapia and Hugo Canabal’s Involvement in the Population Centers Scandal
Tapia and Canabal were part of the technical staff of the Temporary Union of Populated Centers that was awarded a $70 trillion contract to bring the internet to the most disconnected and vulnerable parts of the country. However, the contract became embroiled in political corruption, and the two entrepreneurs did not communicate that they were controllers and owners of the companies involved in the contract signed with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies, although this information should have been included in the company’s articles of association.
As a result, Tapia was fined $232,000,000 and Canabal was fined $116,000,000 for not having disclosed their role as data controllers to the commercial register. According to Billy Escobar Perez, the Superintendent of Societies, “the declaration of control in this case is important so that the interested parties can use the mechanisms that allow the subsidiary responsibility of the data controllers to be made effective, in accordance with what is indicated in Article 61 of Law 1116 of 2006.”
Emilio Tapia’s Slander of Former Minister By Karen Abudin
In December 2022, Tapia slandered the family of former ICT Minister By Karen Abudin and businessman Christian Daes in audios of conversations he had with public officials. He talked about the network of corruption he was involved in related to the Population centers scandal and the billion-dollar contract that aimed to bring connectivity to rural schools in the country. In response to Tapia’s complaint against her, By Karen Abudin mentioned in an interview with Week that “the thug is him.” She also exposed the irregularities of the billion-dollar contract and called a hearing to revoke its realization, alluding to the fact that they had been deceived by members of the Populated temporary centers of the Union.
Emilio Tapia’s Incarceration and Guardianship Request
After the announcement of the sanction against him, Emilio Tapia is currently incarcerated in the penitentiary center of The forest in Barranquilla. He filed for guardianship, in which he asked to protect his rights to good reputation, image, personal and family privacy, and the prohibition of discrimination.
Medellín Chamber of Commerce’s Controversial Board Election
The recent board election of the Medellín Chamber of Commerce, in which Mayor Daniel Quintero was the big loser, will have to be repeated due to an error in the software. This caused controversy, as it left many questioning the validity and reliability of the election process.
Insecurity in the Agricultural Sector in Colombia
Farmers in Colombia have been denouncing the serious situation of insecurity in the sector across all regions of the country. In 2022, 1,350 head of cattle were stolen in 265 cases of theft, and so far in 2023, 322 cattle have already been stolen in 88 cases. This has had a significant impact on the livelihoods of farmers and the country’s economy.