Luis Fernando Andrade stepped down as president of McKinsey in Colombia to head the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) from 2011 to 2017. Today, he is the official with the highest technical profile implicated in the Odebrecht bribery scandal on the Ruta del Sol highway. His case has a unique aspect: the Attorney General’s Office has sanctioned him three times, but no criminal judge has convicted him. Furthermore, the Prosecutor’s Office never charged him with bribery because it found no evidence that he received money. This article lists, in chronological order, the final sanctions, the charges that were dismissed, and the ongoing trial. A side-by-side analysis can be found in Andrade’s file on Auditoría Abierta.
The short answer: Luis Fernando Andrade has not been convicted of a criminal offense, but he has two final disqualifications. The Attorney General’s Office barred him from public office for 18 years in February 2022 for adding the Ocaña-Gamarra section to the contract without a competitive bidding process, favoring the Odebrecht concessionaire. An additional 8-year disqualification was later imposed—confirmed in November 2024—for changing the contract’s payment terms. A third sanction, a 15-year disqualification related to Ruta del Sol III, is currently pending in the court of first instance. In criminal court, he is on trial for undue influence in contracts. However, several charges were dismissed, and no verdict has been handed down. He pleads not guilty.
Who Is Luis Fernando Andrade and Why His Case Matters in October 2026
Andrade joined the ANI in 2011 with a reputation as a technocrat. He had previously led McKinsey in Colombia, and his mandate was to move forward with fourth-generation highway concessions. The Ruta del Sol, the highway between Bogotá and the Caribbean coast, was the flagship project. Section II was operated by a concessionaire controlled by Odebrecht. He left his post in 2017, after the scandal had already erupted.
His case matters because it best illustrates the distinction between two paths that are often confused: the disciplinary and the criminal. The Attorney General’s Office has concluded three times that he committed serious misconduct in the contracting process. The Attorney General’s Office, on the other hand, has spent nine years without securing a conviction, with charges dismissed due to lack of specificity. That difference explains how someone can be barred from office for 18 years without ever having been convicted. To round out the story, Bajo Lupa is publishing the case files of Bernardo “Ñoño” Elías, the senator who lobbied for the Ocaña-Gamarra section, and of Roberto Prieto, who received funds from the Ruta del Sol III project.
Timeline of the Andrade Case, Decision by Decision
| Date | Court | Decision | Level of Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 14, 2014 | ANI and the Ruta del Sol II concessionaire | Addendum 6: Addition of the Ocaña-Gamarra section without a competitive bidding process | Proven fact; basis for the 18-year sanction |
| 2015 | ANI | Two documents change the payment terms to the concessionaire (80% instead of 100%) | Proven fact; basis for the 8-year sanction |
| Late 2017 | Pretrial judge | House arrest for undue influence in contracts and perjury | Precautionary measure |
| December 4, 2018 | Preliminary Hearing Judge, at the request of the Prosecutor’s Office | House arrest revoked; Andrade travels to Miami | Confirmed |
| February 2021 | Prosecutor’s Office | Charges related to the Ruta del Sol III (Plato-Zambrano Bridge) | Charges |
| February 2022 | Office of the Attorney General | Removal from Office and 18-Year Disqualification for Ocaña-Gamarra | Final |
| March 30, 2022 | Bogotá Judge | Dismisses the charges in the Ruta del Sol III case due to lack of concrete evidence | Procedural Dismissal |
| September 2023 | Prosecutor’s Office | New charges of undue interest (Ocaña-Gamarra) and renewed charges regarding the Ruta del Sol III project | Charges |
| October 14, 2023 | Office of the Attorney General | Removal from office and 15-year disqualification from public office regarding the Ruta del Sol III project | First Instance |
| November 30, 2023 | Prosecutor’s Office | Indictment for eight addenda to the Ruta del Sol II project | Indictment, no verdict |
| October 18, 2024 | Trial Judge | Denies the motion to dismiss filed by the Prosecutor’s Office itself; the trial continues | On trial |
| November 5, 2024 | Attorney General’s Office, Trial Chamber | Confirms the 8-year disqualification due to the method of payment | Final |
2022: 18-year ban for the Ocaña-Gamarra section
In February 2022, the Attorney General’s Office removed Andrade from office and barred him from holding public office for 18 years, according to El País de Cali. It concluded that he violated the principles of transparency and objective selection when drafting and signing Addenda 3 and 6 to Concession Contract 001 of 2010. Those documents favored the concessionaire, which was composed of Odebrecht companies.
According to the ruling cited by El Espectador, it was Andrade who requested the change from the concessionaire. Instead of the Puerto Salgar–San Roque road, he was to build the Ocaña–Gamarra road. He instructed his staff to make this feasible and met “secretly” with Senator Bernardo Elías for that purpose. Among the evidence are communications from 2012 with Eder Paolo Ferracutti, the concessionaire’s legal representative. The Attorney General’s Office concluded that he acceded to irregular requests from Odebrecht’s director in Colombia, Eleuberto Martorelli. This is the most serious sanction in his case, and the ruling is final.
2024: The 8-Year Sanction Regarding the Payment Method
The second sanction relates to other events involving the same contract. In 2015, Andrade signed two documents that changed the payment terms for the concessionaire, according to the Attorney General’s Office’s official statement. Payments would be made upon reaching 80% completion of the agreements, rather than the agreed-upon 100%. The agency concluded that the change—requested by the concessionaire itself—brought forward the payments and resulted in a financial loss, according to El Espectador.
The Ordinary Disciplinary Trial Chamber upheld the dismissal and the 8-year disqualification on November 5, 2024, according to La FM. It noted that Andrade failed to conduct feasibility studies and disregard the recommendations of the ANI’s Advisory Committee on Contractual Affairs. That committee had already warned of the risks of altering the original terms.
2023: The 15-Year Sanction for the Ruta del Sol III Project
On October 14, 2023, the Attorney General’s Office removed him from office and barred him from public office for 15 years, according to El Espectador. The reason was a $5,788 million peso contract with Yuma Concesionaria for studies on a second bridge between Plato and Zambrano, in the Magdalena department. According to the oversight agency, subaccounts were created within the ANI labeled as supervision expenses. From these accounts, approximately $650 million pesos were diverted to Roberto Prieto through the front company Megaland, according to Infobae.
This decision was appealable before the Ordinary Trial Chamber and subsequently before the Council of State. No public information was found regarding a second-instance ruling. Therefore, it is recorded as a first-instance sanction.
The Criminal Proceeding: An Ongoing Trial and Several Dropped Charges
The Prosecutor’s Office maintains that Andrade, as director of the ANI, was aware of and permitted the payment of bribes so that Odebrecht would be awarded the Ocaña-Gamarra contract, according to El País de Cali. In September 2023, he was charged with undue influence in the awarding of contracts. He denied the charge, according to El Espectador. In October 2024, the Prosecutor’s Office itself requested the dismissal of a parallel charge, arguing that it would amount to double jeopardy. The judge denied the motion on October 18, and the proceedings continued, according to Infobae. The trial, presided over by Bogotá’s 25th Criminal Circuit Court, was still ongoing as of the date of the sources consulted.
Former President Juan Manuel Santos and former Senator Bernardo Elías have testified in that trial; Elías stated that Andrade knew about the bribes. Andrade denies this. In addition, there are two other charges pending. One relates to the Ruta del Sol III project; it was dismissed on March 30, 2022, because the Prosecutor’s Office failed to specify the facts, and was reformulated in September 2023, according to Radio Nacional. Another, dated November 30, 2023, concerns eight addenda to the Ruta del Sol II project that allegedly resulted in the failure to collect fines totaling 35.8 billion pesos, according to Semana.
The Question the Prosecutor’s Office Never Resolved
There is one key fact that ties the entire case together. The Prosecutor’s Office never charged Andrade with bribery. It found no evidence that he had received money from Odebrecht, according to Noticias RCN. What it does attribute to him is undue influence: having favored the concessionaire in his official capacity. That is why the question of whether Andrade enriched himself remains unanswered by the courts. Elías’s testimony suggests that he knew about the bribes. However, knowing is not the same as collecting, and no judge has established either of these things.
2018: Leaving Colombia
In late 2017, a judge ordered him to be placed under house arrest for undue influence in contracts and perjury, according to Noticias RCN. On December 4, 2018, at the request of the Prosecutor’s Office itself, a judge revoked the order, according to El Universal. Days later, Andrade traveled to Miami and did not attend a hearing on December 18. His defense team cited intimidation, and he said he was going on vacation, according to El Tiempo. According to La FM, he remains outside Colombia and has requested that the attorney general testify at his trial.
What Andrade Says and What His Accusers Say
Andrade pleads not guilty on all counts. His defense team speaks of “persecution” and a “fabricated” case. He maintains that the ANI’s decisions were technical in nature and that he never received any money. His accusers are divided. The Attorney General’s Office has found three disciplinary offenses to be proven, two of which are final. The Prosecutor’s Office accuses him of favoring Odebrecht in his official capacity, but not of accepting bribes. Former Senator Elías, who has been convicted three times, asserts that Andrade was aware of the bribes.
How to interpret this case
Three key points. First: a disciplinary sanction is not a criminal conviction. The 18- and 8-year sanctions are final, but they do not entail imprisonment. Second: the dismissal of a charge is not an acquittal. The Prosecutor’s Office has refiled charges, and the main trial continues. Third: the absence of bribery in the indictment is a fact, not a conclusion of innocence. To see how the same case unfolds when a conviction is handed down, the case file of Ñoño Elías is the exact counterpart to this one.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Has Luis Fernando Andrade been convicted?
No, not in criminal court. No judge has handed down a sentence against him. He is on trial for undue influence in contracts related to the Ocaña-Gamarra section and faces other charges for which no sentence has been handed down. What is final, however, are two sanctions imposed by the Attorney General’s Office: 18 and 8 years of disqualification from public office.
Why did the Attorney General’s Office disqualify Andrade for 18 years?
For adding the Ocaña-Gamarra section to the Ruta del Sol II contract without a competitive bidding process, in favor of the Odebrecht concessionaire. The Attorney General’s Office concluded in February 2022 that Andrade requested the change, instructed his staff to facilitate it, and met with Senator Bernardo Elías for that purpose.
Did Andrade receive bribes from Odebrecht?
It has not been proven. The Prosecutor’s Office never charged him with bribery because it found no evidence that he received money. It accuses him of undue influence in contracts—that is, of favoring the concessionaire through his official position. Former Senator Bernardo Elías testified that Andrade knew about the bribes; Andrade denies this.
How many convictions does Luis Fernando Andrade have?
Three from the Attorney General’s Office. Two are final: 18 years for the Ocaña-Gamarra case (February 2022) and 8 years for the changes to the payment method (confirmed on November 5, 2024). The third, a 15-year sentence for Ruta del Sol III (October 2023), is a first-instance ruling.
Where is Luis Fernando Andrade?
Outside Colombia. He traveled to Miami in December 2018, days after a judge revoked his house arrest, and did not attend a hearing on December 18 of that year. According to La FM, he remains abroad.
Why were the charges against Andrade dismissed?
Because judges ruled that the Prosecutor’s Office had not clearly specified the legally relevant facts. This occurred on March 30, 2022, in the Ruta del Sol III case. The Prosecutor’s Office refiled charges in September 2023.
What is the Ocaña-Gamarra section?
A section of the Ruta del Sol II highway added to Odebrecht’s concession contract without a competitive bidding process, via an addendum dated March 6, 2014. According to the Prosecutor’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office, the addition was secured through bribes paid to members of Congress—including Bernardo “Ñoño” Elías—and through Andrade’s efforts at the ANI.
What happened to the motion to dismiss filed by the Prosecutor’s Office in 2024?
The Prosecutor’s Office itself requested that a parallel indictment be dismissed, arguing that it would amount to double jeopardy. The judge denied the request on October 18, 2024, and the criminal proceedings continued.
Sources consulted
- El País (Colombia): Odebrecht Case, Luis Fernando Andrade on Trial and Facing New Charges (2023)
- El Espectador: Attorney General’s Office sanctions Luis Fernando Andrade with an 18-year disqualification (February 2022)
- Office of the Attorney General: Sanction of dismissal and disqualification confirmed for former ANI director (November 2024)
- El Espectador: Ruta del Sol: Disqualification of former ANI director confirmed (2024)
- La FM: Sanction Against Luis Fernando Andrade Confirmed for Irregularities in the Ruta del Sol Project (November 5, 2024)
- El Espectador: Attorney General’s Office Sanctions and Disqualifies Luis Fernando Andrade for 15 Years (October 14, 2023)
- Infobae: Attorney General’s Office Disqualifies Former ANI President for 15 Years (October 14, 2023)
- El Espectador: Prosecutor’s Office Re-Indicts Luis Fernando Andrade for Odebrecht Corruption (2023)
- Infobae: Former ANI Director to Remain Under Investigation; Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss (October 18, 2024)
- Noticias RCN: Luis Fernando Andrade Ordered to Remain Under House Arrest (2017)
- El Universal: Judge Orders Revocation of Pretrial Detention Order for Luis Fernando Andrade (December 4, 2018)
- El Tiempo: Luis Fernando Andrade Left the Country and Did Not Attend Odebrecht Hearing (December 2018)
- Infobae: Prosecutor’s Office charges Andrade, Prieto, and four others in connection with the Ruta del Sol III project (February 22, 2021)
- El Espectador: Case against Luis Fernando Andrade dismissed (March 30, 2022)
- Radio Nacional: New charges filed against Luis Fernando Andrade (September 21, 2023)
- Semana: Andrade Charged with Irregularities in Eight Addenda to the Ruta del Sol II Project (November 30, 2023)
- La FM: Luis Fernando Andrade to Stand Trial for Ruta del Sol III
This article compiles documented facts and allegations attributed to their authors. The mention of an allegation does not imply its veracity, and the position of the person mentioned is stated in each case. Bajo Lupa offers Luis Fernando Andrade the opportunity to respond and will update the text as new information becomes available. Information verified as of October 8, 2026.
Investigative Journalist and Case File Analyst
Guzmán Fajardo Báez is an investigative journalist specializing in the scrutiny of judicial proceedings, the coverage of regulatory frameworks, and the analysis of the administration of justice in Guatemala and Latin America. His career is distinguished by a firm commitment to institutional oversight, examining legal case files, court rulings, and public records to accurately document the exercise of power.
At Bajo Lupa, he is part of the investigative team tasked with untangling legal controversies and high-impact political cases. His journalistic approach prioritizes analytical sobriety, rigorous respect for due process, and the exhaustive cross-referencing of primary sources, providing citizens with a documented perspective free from partisan biases.