Change in Colombia: De La Espriella Names New Defense Minister
The retired army officer criticized peace talks and led a force against cross-border crime as armed-group membership topped 27,000, officials said.
- On Monday, Colombian President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella named retired Major General Jorge Eduardo Mora López as his defense minister, to assume office on August 7, 2026, replacing President Gustavo Petro.
- Mora, a career army officer who founded the military's transnational-threats strike force, has openly criticized the outgoing government's "Total Peace" and "Human Security" policies as failures, arguing violence indicators rose significantly.
- Armed-Group membership more than doubled to above twenty-seven thousand by the end of 2025, prompting Mora to write: "We are going to recover every inch of our territory so that security becomes the bridge to social progress."
- Beginning August 7, the government plans to join a United States-led anti-crime coalition, sometimes billed as a "Shield of the Americas," signaling a security tone shift rather than immediate visa or residency changes.
- Mora's appointment fills one of the final major cabinet vacancies, yet a divided Colombian Congress and thin electoral mandate will test how far any planned security overhaul can actually proceed.
20 Articles
20 Articles
The newly elected president of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, has appointed Eduardo Mora as Minister of Defense this Monday, who was removed from active service by order of President Gustavo Petro at the beginning of his government four years ago. Right-wing De la Espriella will take power on August 7 in place of the leftist Petro and has promised a stricter security policy in front of guerrillas and drug cartels, amid a deterioration of vi…
Colombia Names Hardline General Mora as Defense Minister
Politics Key Facts —The appointment. President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella named retired Major General Jorge Eduardo Mora López as his defense minister, to take office on August 7, 2026. —The man. Mora founded the military’s transnational-threats strike force and led De la Espriella’s campaign push in the border department of Norte de Santander. —The stance. […] The post Colombia Names Hardline General Mora as Defense Minister appeared first …
Bogotá, 6 Jul (EFE).- The president-elect of Colombia, Abelardo De la Espriella, announced this Monday the appointment of the retired major general Jorge Eduardo Mora as next defense minister, who entrusted the recovery of the operating capacity of the Public Forces and the fight against illegal armed groups. Mora López, who accumulated 36 years of service in the Army, arrives in office with experience in strategic planning, intelligence, specia…
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