Colombian Foreign Ministry Shifts Leadership Amid Passport Troubles

Vice Chancellor **Rosa Villavicencio** steps up as **Laura Sarabia** departs amid institutional crisis.

A leadership change is underway at Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As of today, Vice Chancellor **Rosa Villavicencio** will take the reins, succeeding **Laura Sarabia**, who announced the end of her tenure following a meeting with **President Gustavo Petro**.

Key Development

**Sarabia** stated that the transition with her successor will begin immediately. “Today I can officially say that my time in the government is over,” she announced, departing amid an institutional crisis regarding a failed passport bidding process.

**Sarabia** also conveyed her gratitude to **President Petro**, adding that she would deliver all management information from her six months in the role. The change occurs in the wake of **Sarabia**’s resignation on July 3, prompted by **President Petro**’s disagreement with her move to extend a contract with Thomas Greg & Sons, as communicated through his head of dispatch, **Alfredo Saade**.

Amidst these changes, the Colombian passport crisis continues to draw scrutiny. As of June 2024, approximately 1.4 million Colombians were waiting for passport appointments, highlighting the severity of the ongoing delays (Infobae).

Sarabia’s Reasons for Departure

**Sarabia** explained her resignation was rooted in disagreements over recent decisions: “In recent days decisions have been made that I do not share and that, due to personal coherence and institutional respect, I cannot accompany. It is not about minor differences or who is right. It is a direction that, with all the affection and respect that I have, it is no longer possible for me to execute.”

Roots of the Passport Impasse

Since 2023, the government has aimed to replace Thomas Greg in passport production, but the effort has been plagued by legal challenges and internal disputes. In May of that year, several companies withdrew from the Foreign Ministry’s tender, alleging it was rigged to favor Thomas Greg & Sons, the passport producer since 2007, due to exclusive requirements.

**Álvaro Leyva**, then Chancellor, suspended the process and declared it deserted in September, citing manifest urgency to directly hire Thomas Greg & Sons. In December, the company sued the State for 117,000 million pesos due to the cancellation, but withdrew the demand in January 2025.

In September 2024, **Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo** extended the contract until August 2025, with plans for La Moneda de Portugal to manufacture passports in Colombia starting that September, transferring the work to the National Printing. However, a contract with Portugal and the National Printing remains unsigned, and **Sarabia** noted the National Printing’s lack of operational capacity.

**Sarabia** commented that the printing press requires a transition period to acquire necessary equipment and strengthen capabilities. While agreeing with **President Petro** on state control of document issuance, she cautioned that it cannot be achieved rapidly.

Who is **Rosa Villaviencio**?

**Villavicencio** became Vice Minister in May, succeeding **Daniel Ávila**, a career officer who held the position briefly. Her appointment faced scrutiny due to doubts about her second language proficiency. She holds a degree in Economics, a specialization in women and development, and a master’s degree in migrations and intra-community relations.

For the past 24 years, she lived in Spain, working to protect the rights of vulnerable groups, especially immigrants, according to Congress visible.