Government replaces Interior leadership with two new appointments in the ministry

President Abelardo de la Espriella accepted the resignations of the secretary general of the Ministry of the Interior, Hitler Rouseau Chaverra Ovalle, and the vice minister of Social Dialogue and Human Rights, Jorge Ernesto Roa Roa, and appointed their replacements. Decrees 1766 and 1767 of 2026, signed on November 12 and endorsed by Minister Alejandro Ordóñez Maldonado, were published in the Official Gazette number 53,689 on Friday, November 13, 2026.

Two resignations filed on the same day

Both officials submitted their resignations via communication dated October 22, 2026, according to the recitals of the two regulations. The Government based the decision on numeral 13 of article 189 of the Political Constitution, which empowers the President to freely appoint and remove employees whose designation corresponds to him, in accordance with articles 2.2.5.1.1, 2.2.5.1.3, and 2.2.11.1.3 of Decree 1083 of 2015.

The positions subject to replacement are of free appointment and removal:

• Ministry Secretary General, code 0035, grade 24, of the global staff, assigned to the General Secretariat of the Ministry of the Interior.
• Vice Minister, code 0020, in the Office of the Vice Minister for Social Dialogue and Human Rights.

Chaverra Ovalle had been appointed secretary general via Decree 1212 of August 13, 2026; Roa Roa arrived at the vice ministry via Decree 1213 of the same date. That is, both remained in their positions for approximately three months.

Who arrives at the General Secretariat

Decree 1766 of 2026, whose purpose is to “accept a resignation and make an appointment to the personnel staff of the Ministry of the Interior,” designates María Lorena Cuéllar Cruz as secretary general. The new holder of position code 0035, grade 24, was identified in the administrative act with citizenship ID number 52421682.

The decree orders the ministry’s Sub-directorate of Human Management to communicate the content of the decision to Cuéllar Cruz and Chaverra Ovalle, and establishes that it takes effect from the date of its issuance.

Change in the Vice Ministry of Social Dialogue

Decree 1767 of 2026 accepts the resignation of Jorge Ernesto Roa Roa (citizenship ID 1032389547) and appoints María Eugenia Carreño Gómez (citizenship ID 63347730) in his place as vice minister code 0020.

This is the department that handles the ministry’s relationship with social organizations, ethnic communities, and victims, in addition to coordinating the sector’s human rights policy. In the recitals of both decrees, the Executive justified the appointments with the formula of “guaranteeing the fulfillment and continuity in the provision of the service.”

Other movements in the same portfolio

The November 13 edition also includes Decree 1781 of 2026, by which the resignation of Stella Cañón Rodríguez from the position of Office Head code 0137, grade 22, of the Internal Control Office of the Ministry of the Interior is accepted, and Camilo Andrés Mantilla Vanegas is appointed in her place. That office is responsible for the internal control of the portfolio, a designation that corresponds directly to the President according to Article 11 of Law 87 of 1993, modified by Article 8 of Law 1474 of 2011.

In the area of attached entities, Decree 1768 of 2026 appoints the outgoing secretary general, Hitler Rouseau Chaverra Ovalle, as Manager of Decentralized Entity code 0015, grade 24, of the National Printing Office of Colombia, and repeals Article 1 of Decree 1354 of September 3, 2026, which had appointed Iván Rodrigo Rojas Arboleda as acting manager.

The handover establishes the team that will manage two of the most sensitive fronts of the Ministry of the Interior: the administrative and contractual management of the General Secretariat, on one hand, and the dialogue with social movements and the human rights agenda, on the other. The decrees are for immediate application and do not require additional processing before Congress, so the new holders assume their positions permanently starting from the publication in the Official Gazette.

Source: Official Gazette, number 53,689 of November 13, 2026, Ministry of the Interior section, p. 5 (official reference: Decree 1766 of 2026 and Decree 1767 of 2026).