The provisional suspension of the agreement aimed at producing and distributing passports in Colombia, ordered by the Tribunal Administrativo de Cundinamarca, has sparked various reactions across the political spectrum. Rosa Villavicencio, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed concerns over the court’s decision, citing what she sees as contradictions in the ruling.
Villavicencio remarked that during her tenure in the administration of Gustavo Petro, the passport production system functioned effectively despite a complex transition. She referenced reports confirming the transparency and traceability of the process, stating, «I believe the ruling from the Tribunal Administrativo Cundinamarca is truly contradictory. This order speaks of a provisional suspension, yet it also requests that the formalization and passport issuance not be interrupted… This is unfortunate for Colombian society as the process was running smoothly and had no legal flaws.» In her discussion with Caracol Radio, she further criticized the alleged lack of financial clarity pointed out by the magistrate and defended the sustainability of the existing model, clarifying details about the production and personalization of passports at the national printing office in compliance with international standards.
She also hinted at potential political pressures from opposing factions to undermine the data sovereignty procedure, stating, «What we see here is a political interest in dismantling this model through various controversial judicial actions… they request twenty days to respond and clarify any doubts, which now falls to the Imprenta and the Foreign Ministry.»
Details of the precautionary measure indicate it was ordered on September 2, 2026, in response to a popular action filed by Nicolás Dupont Bernal against the Fondo Rotatorio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores and the Imprenta Nacional de Colombia. The court’s preliminary analysis highlighted sufficient grounds for preventive intervention while examining the case’s merits, citing changes and violations in the timelines set for implementing the model, as well as contradictory institutional reports and a lack of evidence verifying the operational status.
The tribunal noted that these inconsistencies hinder a clear understanding of the project’s current execution status. Its initial assessment described the situation as «improvised planning,» addressing challenges that surfaced during the model’s development. The decision also raised concerns regarding the adherence to budgetary requirements and the use of public resources, indicating that uncertainties in execution could pose risks to state assets until clarifications regarding commitments are made.
The central point of the court ruling is that the provisional suspension does not aim to halt passport issuance. Therefore, it directed relevant entities to enact necessary administrative, contractual, and operational measures to prevent any service interruption for citizens in need of travel documents. The court warned that uncertainty regarding the model could affect the supply of passport booklets and thereby compromise service continuity. The suspension remains in force until the parties involved can provide objective and verifiable information regarding the execution status, availability of booklets, and security measures regarding their production and custody.
This suspension applies to the Convenio Interadministrativo Específico 001 of 2025, the CI-005 of 2026, and any contracts derived from both. The court clarified that it did not rule on the validity of these instruments, as that will be addressed in separate instances. Additionally, the agreement with Imprenta Nacional Casa da Moneda de Portugal was excluded from the measure, and no judgment concerning its legality was made. The court also did not suspend the Convenio Marco 006 of 2024, as it had already been liquidated and was neither active nor in execution, nor the Convenio Marco 007 of 2025, viewed as general in nature concerning the relationship between the Fondo Rotatorio and the Imprenta Nacional de Colombia.
Fuente: www.infobae.com
