According to the congressman’s post on the social network X, the president’s helicopter movements totaled 2.2 billion pesos (725,000 dollars at the current exchange rate) during his first month alone.

For the legislator, the most alarming aspect of this figure is that, out of 219 flights, 43 were to the home grounds of the local Barranquilla soccer team, Junior, while a total of 138 flights lasted less than 10 minutes.

“Mr. Abelardo is using the helicopter as if it were his personal taxi,” he remarked, noting that many of these trips took place within Barranquilla itself—a city the head of state selected as an alternate capital—or within Bogota.

Bohorquez argued that the president could make these trips by car, just as previous presidents did.

“Paying for Mr. Abelardo’s helicopter is costing us 62 million pesos (nearly 20,000 dollars) a day,” he stated.

In light of this expense, he questioned the current administration’s narrative claiming the outgoing government left the public coffers empty.

“They say the previous government left the coffers completely bare; how is it that, with the coffers bare, they are spending 2.2 billion a month on helicopters? Either the coffers aren’t that bare, or they are draining them dry,” he quipped.

jdt/oda/ifs