An alleged builder, originally from Neiva, has just become one of the main leads in a criminal investigation that seeks to establish murky connections between the Petro Presidente 2022-2026 campaign.alias Papa Smurf and opaque appointments and contracts in the state-owned Ecopetrol and in two subsidiaries: ISA and Cenit.
The first time his name was heard was on February 15, 2025. That day, the Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO established that he was the fourth person present at a barbecue that took place in a palace in Guaymaral, north of Bogotá, where Diego Marín Buitrago, alias Papa Pitufo, gave 500 million pesos in cash to the Catalan Xavier Vendrell for the Petro Presidente campaign, in front of Néstor Daniel García Colorado, co-founder of the Alianza Verde party.
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The audio man
Victor Hugo Sierra Photo:EL TIEMPO Investigative Unit
His name is Víctor Hugo Sierra Gutiérrez, although in some media they call him Víctor Gutiérrez. According to witnesses, the man built two twin houses in Guaymaral, one of which ‘Papá Smurf’ would have occupied. And, in addition, he offered powerful businessmen to carry out procedures before the Dian, one of the entities in which the ‘smuggling czar’ had tentacles.
Sources from the Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to EL TIEMPO that the name of Víctor Sierra, 62, appeared again last July, in a complaint against the other Catalan close to Casa de Nariño: Manel Grau. This time they linked him to an alleged scam against a couple of businessmen to whom Grau had promised dividends for million-dollar investments and contracts in the Ecopetrol Group.
According to the complainants’ representative, Grau claimed to have the support of Casa de Nariño to do these businesses and He even made loudspeaker calls with the first lady, Verónica Alcocer, and with the president of Ecopetrol, Ricardo Roa.
According to the complainants, part of the 4.9 billion pesos that were given to the Catalan was received by Víctor Sierra and there are videos that prove it.
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These are some of the chats held by the Prosecutor’s Office of the Catalan Manel Grau. Photo:Prosecutor’s Office
And according to investigators, this is the same man who is heard in the audio that the EL TIEMPO Investigative Unit revealed a week ago of a breakfast that Grau would have attended and to which they also place Juan Carlos Hurtado, president (e.) of Ecopetrol until a few weeks ago. In the audio it is said that Víctor Sierra and Grau would have been the ones who moved Hurtado’s resume so that he would return to the oil company.
In fact, he became Roa’s successor, after he requested a leave of absence amid accusations against him for influence peddling and violation of Petro campaign limits.
“One of the investigators on the subject of the caps had already requested information about Víctor Sierra and it is expected that the case will now intersect with that of the audio revealed by EL TIEMPO and with that of Mr. Grau’s alleged scam.“, a source from the Prosecutor’s Office told this newspaper.
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The ‘Veronicas’
The former president of Ecopetrol, Ricardo Roa, and the Catalans Manel Grau and Xavier Vendrell. Photo:Private file
The name of Sierra, who, in January 2023, was sentenced to 7 years in prison for procedural fraud and document falsification, It had already been mentioned even by Augusto Rodríguez, then director of the National Protection Unit (UNP) of the Petro government, who uncovered the contribution to the campaign that ‘Papá Smurf’ made and which was supposedly returned.
Rodríguez said at the time that Sierra had facilitated the meeting between merchants from San Andresito and the then candidate Petro.
Furthermore, at the barbecue in Guaymaral, he appeared with an electronic bracelet because his sentence was in force. And, now, what is clear with the complaint filed two months ago is that the Catalans and Sierra would continue to be involved in business.
And that, in addition, they mentioned his connection with the then first lady.
“Verónica Alcocer’s closeness to this group combines a personal bond and trust with institutional facilities and presence on both public and private agendas. Catalan combo: Manel Grau Pujadas and Xavier Vendrell; Link A: Víctor Sierra Gutiérrez”, reads the complaint filed by lawyer Carlos Soler.
They called that “combo” in Casa de Nariño the ‘Verónico’ because that’s how they presented themselves in some circles of power. And witnesses add that there was a fourth person, linked to the Catalans, who also appears in the complaint: “Link B: Andrés Gamero.”
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The man from Otanche
Andrés Gamero, close to the Catalans; Ricardo Roa and Johny Giraldo, former son-in-law of Piedad Córdoba. Photo:Private file
The full name is Yeirson Andrés Gamero Martínez, who was linked to Vendrell at the time and the recruitment of electoral witnesses for the Petro Presidente campaign.
His face was known in a photo taken in a luxurious restaurant in Bogotá next to Ricardo Roa and Johny Giraldo, ex-in-law of Senator Piedad Córdoba, who remodeled apartment 901 of the then head of Ecopetrol, whose existence was revealed by the Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO in December 2023.
This newspaper found photos and journalistic notes in which it is stated that Andrés Gamero and the Catalan Vendrell visited the largest emerald mines in Boyacá, as delegates of President Gustavo Petro.
One of Vendrell and Gamero’s visits was to the Fura Gems company mine, in Coscuéz, on June 14, 2024. And there was a second one, last January, in which Gamero was with the then director of the National Mining Agency, Lina Franco.
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Gamero’s version
Xavier Vendrell, Manel Grau, Andrés Gamero and young people from ‘Activists for Change’. Photo:Private file
With the sign “Presidency advisor of the Republic”, Gamero says in the video of the visit why he was there: “To see how we support the National Government so that this industry continues to grow.”
In dialogue with the Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO Gamero said that he never presented himself as an advisor to Casa de Nariño, but admitted his closeness to the Catalans.
“I was not an advisor to the President, I had no powers to present myself like this. I know Xavier and we are friends. And I don’t talk to Manel anymore. I don’t know the term ‘Verónicas’ because I never met that lady (Verónica Alcocer),” Gamero told this newspaper.
And when asked about his alleged participation in the scam attributed to Grau, he said: “I never received money nor did I meet with businessmen or lenders. I have not been notified of any complaints.”
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The mention of Roa
Ricardo Roa, former president of Ecopetrol. Photo:Private file
EL TIEMPO contacted one of Víctor Sierra’s lawyers to contact him and ask him about the audio, about his presence at the delivery of 500 million to the Petro campaign and for the fraud complaint.
Although the lawyer said that he seized him in another process and that he was going to give him the message, at the time of going to press he had not responded.
For 15 days, EL TIEMPO has also tried to contact Grau, but he has not responded to any of the messages left on his cell phone in Colombia and on his cell phone in Spain.
Finally, Carlos Soler, the representative of the businessmen who declare themselves scammed – and who mention the Catalans, Víctor Sierra and Andrés Gamero-, he told this newspaper that he has already contributed videos, chats and audios of money delivery.
Furthermore, they have already located the high-end truck that Grau supposedly asked them to make available to Ricardo Roa, then president of Ecopetrol.
EL TIEMPO also consulted with a legal advisor for ‘Papá Smurf’ about his connection with Víctor Sierra, but he stated that his client is waiting for asylum. that he requested in Portugal and that in the meantime he must remain silent on the recommendation of his lawyers.
What does the Prosecutor’s Office say?
INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
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