Diplomatic changes in Colombia: President Abelardo de la Espriella dismisses five ambassadors
In a decisive measure aimed at renewing the country’s foreign representation, the President of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, officially dismissed five ambassadors this Friday who failed to submit their protocol resignation following the end of the constitutional term of former president Gustavo Petro.
The decision is in response to the lack of compliance with the protocol established after the change of command. As the current Government explained, the vast majority of diplomats appointed by the previous administration complied with the regulations and made their positions available upon the conclusion of the previous presidential cycle.
List of affected diplomats
- Guillermo Francisco Reyes González, ambassador to Sweden.
- Vilma Rocío Velásquez Uribe, ambassador to Haiti.
- Yennifer Edilma Parra Moscoso, ambassador to Turkey.
- Juan Manuel Corzo Román, ambassador to Paraguay.
- William Sidney Bush Howard, ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago.
Through an official statement, the De la Espriella administration detailed that, in the exercise of its constitutional and legal powers, it proceeded to declare these appointments void. This action is based on Decree Law 274, specifically in its article 91, which requires that the heads of diplomatic missions submit their mandatory resignation at the end of the term of the Government that appointed them.
The heads of diplomatic missions must submit their resignation from their positions upon the conclusion of the term of the Government in which they were appointed.
Article 91 of Decree Law 274
This provision was timely recalled by former Chancellor Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio on July 22, weeks before the inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella, which took place in the city of Cali on August 7.
