Former vice president Germán Vargas Lleras harshly criticized the mayor of Medellín, Daniel Quintero, for the handling he has given to Hidroituango ignition dates y the inconveniences that have been generated to meet commitments for power generation.
In his column in the newspaper El Tiempo, entitled “Who to believe?”, he made reference to what EPM manager Jorge Andrés Carrillo had said about the fact that there were no risks for the hydroelectric plant to start up and stated: “And if Everything is so controlled, why is Mayor Quintero asking for more time to carry out other tests? Are these tests essential to rule out any risk?
Vargas Lleras indicated that these maneuvers would have as their main objective place all the responsibility on the National Government of the delays for the power generation of Hidroituango and the fines that can be generated for non-compliance with the commitments acquired before the Energy and Gas Regulation Commission (Creg).
“I believe that what the mayor is looking for is to pass all the responsibility to the National Government. Force him to make a decision that is only the responsibility of EPM and the board of directors, which he chairs, and put the government against the wall to avoid paying multimillion-dollar fines and sanctions, which are the sole responsibility of the company,” said the man who was vice president between 2014 and 2017 during the second government of Juan Manuel Santos.
Additionally, he made reference to the fact that EPM got into this mess by participating, freely and autonomously, in the Creg energy auctions of 2008 and 2012, offering it to the National Interconnected System. “First, offering to deliver it in December 2018 and then, due to the already known delays and critical events, in November 2022. For this, it granted a performance guarantee for US$ 207 million, and if it complied, it would ensure income for the remuneration of the charge for reliability at a rate of US$ 64 million per year for 17 years”, he pointed out.
He requested that in case of not fulfilling the commitment for the generation of energy on November 30, which is going to happen, EPM should pay the penalty corresponding, “as it did in the cases of Porce, Miel II, Termosolo and Hidroituango itself in 2019,” he said.
He also criticized the actions of the district president, expressing in his column: “This is the opportunity to point out that although I supported the mayor’s decision to end the collusion in EPM, I do not share your immature management at all. He provokes useless confrontations on a daily basis, he likes to make noise at any price and it seems that he governed in electoral campaign mode, without managing his city”.
Finally, it was questioned how the mayor will act and the support he will obtain from the government of Gustavo Petro. “Will EPM, with Daniel the Naughty at the helm, dare to start power generation with the first two turbines, despite having a level of risk that it describes as high and, according to the UNGRD, without having ready and implemented an adequate and complete contingency plan for this delicate situation? Will the government allow it? It’s more, Will you forgive him, in view of the political support received, the fine for not doing so?”, he concluded.