Colombia to Eliminate Peace Commissioner Position

Colombia’s president-elect announced the elimination of the Peace Commissioner post and two presidential advisory offices tied to human rights and national reconciliation.

President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announced plans to eliminate Colombia’s Peace Commissioner position and related government offices after taking office. Photo: Abelardo De La Espriella Team.

July 14, 2026 Hour: 5:06 am

Colombia president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella also announced the closure of presidential offices for human rights and national reconciliation.

Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announced that his administration will abolish the Office of the Peace Commissioner, along with the Presidential Advisory Offices for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law and for National Reconciliation, after taking office on Aug. 7.

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President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella said his government will eliminate the Office of the Peace Commissioner, which has led negotiations with armed groups in Colombia, as part of a restructuring that will also dissolve two presidential advisory offices.

The measure includes the closure of the Presidential Advisory Office for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law and the Presidential Advisory Office for National Reconciliation.

Text Reads: 📌 Colombia’s president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, announced that he will eliminate the position of Peace Commissioner and close the offices of National Reconciliation and Human Rights after taking office on August 7. This measure effectively shuts down political dialogue as an institutional mechanism for engaging with armed groups operating in the country.
🔴 De la Espriella also commented on the 2016 Peace Agreement, stating that Rodrigo Londoño, alias Timochenko, the last leader of the FARC-EP and a signatory of the pact, “deserves to be imprisoned for life.” He further criticized the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, the transitional justice tribunal established by the agreement, calling it a haven for the opposition. Human rights organizations have warned that the elimination of these bodies reduces the chances of a negotiated solution to the armed conflict.

In a speech published on his social media accounts, de la Espriella said the Peace Commissioner position would be abolished because “there will be no more false peace processes under my government.”

He also referred to Rodrigo Londoño, known as Timochenko, the third and final leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) and a signatory to the 2016 Peace Agreement, saying that “he deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison,” and that his administration would seek to achieve that outcome.

De la Espriella also commented on the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), the transitional justice tribunal established following the 2016 peace accord, describing it as an institution that provides “refuge” to Pilar Rueda, the spouse of opposition senator and former presidential candidate Iván Cepeda.

According to the information provided, dismantling these specialized institutions would end political dialogue as a mechanism for bringing hostilities to a close and facilitating the demobilization of armed groups.

The information also states that international actors and human rights organizations have historically argued that the absence of institutional channels for negotiation tends to deepen cycles of violence and reduce the prospects for a peaceful resolution of Colombia’s armed conflict.

Author: MK

Source: Agencies

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