In the final stretch of the election for Colombia’s Comptroller General, Congress is evaluating the profiles of the ten finalist candidates selected through a public merit-based competition. Standing out among the list is attorney Diana Carolina Torres García, former Comptroller of Medellín and Antioquia, who is seeking to persuade legislative benches with a proposal focused on technical rigor, political independence, and strict regional oversight.
With more than 15 years of experience in the public sector, Torres García not only brings expertise in auditing and fiscal accountability, but also presents an unconventional profile for the sector: she is a specialist in administrative law, a lieutenant in the Naval Reserve of the Colombian Navy, an aeronautical rescuer, and a professional diver.
Regional Footprint: From Hidroituango to School Food Programs
During her tenure heading the Comptroller’s Offices of both Medellín and the Department of Antioquia, Torres García oversaw some of the country’s most complex and high-profile fiscal cases.
Under her leadership at the Departmental Comptroller’s Office, the agency issued alerts and reported findings exceeding USD $100 million linked to contingencies and investments in the Hidroituango hydroelectric project. Later, leading the General Comptroller’s Office of Medellín in 2020, her team uncovered budgetary irregularities totaling COP $35 billion during the COVID-19 emergency, focusing audits on Public Enterprises of Medellín (EPM) contracts and the School Feeding Program (PAE).
“In the Medellín Comptroller’s Office, we identified findings exceeding 35 billion pesos during the pandemic, related to EPM agreements and school feeding programs,” the candidate recalled regarding the impact of her investigations.
First 100 Days: Action Plan for Public Works and Healthcare Infrastructure
Looking toward leading the nation’s highest fiscal oversight institution, Diana Carolina Torres has structured a roadmap with immediate priorities:
Reactivating Unfinished Works (“White Elephants”): As part of her plan for the first 100 days, she proposes concentrating special audits on the transport and infrastructure sectors to reactivate at least 30% of stalled public works cataloged across municipalities.
Scrutiny on Healthcare: She aims to audit the allocation of funds within the healthcare system and cash flows directed to public and private hospital networks, addressing public concern over service delivery.
Preventive Data Analytics: She seeks to strengthen the Information, Analysis, and Immediate Reaction Directorate (DIARI) by integrating predictive models to identify misallocation risks before contracts are paid out or finalized.
Commitment to Political Autonomy
Amid ongoing legislative debates regarding candidates’ proximity to political figures, Diana Carolina Torres has emphasized her technical impartiality. While she previously held leadership roles within the Royalties Sector Delegation at the National Comptroller’s Office, she stresses that her candidacy relies strictly on meritocracy and institutional objectivity.
In the coming days, the plenary of Congress will decide whether to entrust Diana Carolina Torres with leading the Comptroller General’s Office, a decision that will set the course for the management and protection of public resources for the upcoming term.
