President Petro expressed his disagreement with the ruling annulling Guillermo Reyes' election as ambassador to Sweden.

President Gustavo Petro expressed his disagreement with the ruling of the Administrative Court of Cundinamarca, which annulled, in the first instance, the appointment of Guillermo Reyes as Colombia's ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden .

The head of state assured that his government will abide by the decision, but insisted that his right to direct the country's foreign policy is allegedly being violated.

"Since the administrative dispute, several ambassadors appointed by the President of Colombia have been removed. Although I have always abided by the court's decision, I must express my disagreement with it. The President, as head of state, has the constitutional right to direct Colombia's foreign relations; that right must not be violated," he commented on X.

According to the administrative court's decision, Reyes was required to prove 84 months of experience, but only had half of that time. "According to the evidence on file, Guillermo Reyes was required to demonstrate 84 months of related professional experience, of which, based on the certifications attached to his resume, he proved 42 months and 5 days," the ruling states.

In the proceedings, the Administrative Court ruled that while he had an extensive career, the experience he had accredited was invalid because it was not related to what he was expected to do at an embassy.

The ruling reads: "In this sense, the term 'similar' implies that the duties may be similar, akin, or analogous to the duties of the position. In other words, they do not have to be identical to those of the position to be filled."

Reyes announced he will appeal the decision and defended his career. " I must state that in my professional career, now spanning 35 years, as a lawyer, I have had the opportunity to hold important positions serving my country, which I certified and accredited in my documents for my appointment as ambassador, which overturns the court's ruling ," Reyes stated.

For his part, the ambassador to the United Kingdom, Roy Barreras, supported Reyes. " There are mistakes that are impossible to understand. I have personally heard Guillermo Reyes speak fluent English at international meetings, where he has also done excellent diplomatic work, including a state visit. I hope it is not true that some judges are being carried away by animosity toward the government," he wrote on his X account.

The Colombian Diplomatic and Consular Association (Asodiplo) welcomed the administrative ruling. "The ruling constitutes recognition of the principles of merit, expertise, and suitability, which are fundamental to access to public office and to the professionalization of the Colombian foreign service," the association stated.

Since taking office at the Casa de Nariño, President Petro's government has seen the Council of State confirm the annulment of the election of more than 20 officials in the foreign service.

Juan Pablo Penagos Ramirez