New clash between Federico Gutiérrez and Daniel Quintero: Justice halts Mayor's office appeal, greenlights Supersalud audit in Medellín

A judicial battle between Medellín's mayor's office and the National Health Superintendency has taken a new turn, with a judge denying the city administration's request to suspend an ongoing audit. The 21st Labor Circuit Court of Medellín rejected an injunction filed by Mayor Federico Gutiérrez's administration, which sought to halt an internal audit by the Superintendency within the district's Health Secretariat.

The court concluded that no legal basis existed to interrupt the health authority's constitutional duties of inspection, surveillance, and control. Following the ruling, National Health Superintendent Daniel Quintero Calle announced the immediate resumption of the audit. He stated that auditors were already en route to the mayor's office to restart their tasks, emphasizing that the institution would not be deterred by "dilatory strategies" in its oversight of public funds.

This judicial decision escalates weeks of institutional friction between the district government and the national entity. The mayor's office had previously approached the courts, questioning the audit's impartiality and alleging potential conflicts of interest within the technical team. They also raised concerns about due process guarantees for the Health Secretariat. Conversely, the Superintendency maintained that its actions were part of a technical inspection plan for Antioquia and that no territorial entity could restrict its legal review powers over the health sector.

The dispute has also extended into criminal and disciplinary arenas, with the Superintendency filing complaints with the Attorney General's Office and the Inspector General's Office for alleged obstruction of public functions. These complaints stemmed from perceived obstacles and unforeseen issues during initial audit visits. With the labor court's denial of the precautionary measure, the fiscalization process in Medellín is set to continue.

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Our battle against corruption continues. Judge denies tutela with which @FicoGutierrez stopped the SuperSalud audit of the Medellín Mayor's Office. No more delays. Auditors are currently heading to the Medellín Mayor's Office to resume tasks.