David Murcia Guzmán, a convicted criminal for mass solicitation and money laundering, was transferred from La Picota prison in Bogotá to the Palogordo prison in Santander on 2026-04-12. ^[1] Sondra Macollins, lawyer for David Murcia Guzmán, stated that her client was transferred to the high-security Palogordo prison in Girón, Santander, on August 19, 2026, without prior notification to her or his family. ^[2] Cecilia Orozco, an opposition leader, stated that the sudden transfer of prisoner David Murcia Guzmán from La Picota prison in Bogotá to Palogordo prison in Girón, Santander, signals a significant risk to democracy in Colombia. ^[3] Abelardo de la Espriella denied Murcia's allegations, stating he fulfilled his defense contract and never influenced congressmen. ^[4] In a February 2026 interview, David Murcia Guzmán alleged that his former lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella accepted 5.000 million pesos (approximately 1.6 million USD) for legal fees without providing adequate defense. ^[5] Murcia claimed his organization gave Abelardo de la Espriella 760 million pesos to influence congressmen regarding regulations on cash handling that would affect his business. ^[6] David Murcia Guzmán was moved from the La Picota prison in Bogotá to the Palogordo complex, which houses 17 leaders of armed structures convicted of extortion, kidnapping, and homicide. ^[7] Macollins sought a precautionary measure from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, alleging that the Colombian State is failing to guarantee her client's rights. ^[8] Sondra Macollins claimed that the transfer was an act against her client's declarations made against the current president of the Republic, Abelardo Del Espriella. ^[9] David Murcia Guzmán alleged that Abelardo de la Espriella abandoned him without returning the money and betrayed him to align with Álvaro Uribe Vélez, who then became president of the Republic. ^[10] David Murcia Guzmán, a convicted individual, was a client of lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella in 2008, who represented him before the justice system and made public arguments in his defense. ^[11] The National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (INPEC) transferred David Murcia Guzmán over the weekend without express motivation or legal support, and his defense lawyer, Sondra Macollins, was not informed of the move. ^[12]