Bogotá – The Colombia Ministry of Equality liquidation is moving into a new phase. The government has started implementing measures designed to complete the closure of the ministry created in 2023.

John Milton Rodríguez is currently leading the liquidation process. Shortly after taking the role, he announced measures covering contracts, spending and administrative records.

Moreover, the government is reviewing the ministry’s existing structure. Workers and senior officials are also facing changes as the process moves forward.

Colombia Ministry of Equality Liquidation Moves Forward

The ministry formally entered liquidation through Decree 626 of 2026.

Under the decree, the institution became the Ministry of Equality and Equity in Liquidation. As a result, it can no longer begin new activities linked to its original mandate.

Instead, its legal capacity is now limited mainly to actions required for the liquidation. These include administrative operations and contracts necessary to complete the closure.

The original liquidation framework established an initial period of one year. Therefore, the government must manage assets, liabilities, records and remaining administrative responsibilities during the transition.

Government Freezes Contracts and Spending

One of the latest measures affects contracts and public spending.

According to reports on August 24, the liquidation team ordered a contractual and budgetary freeze. In addition, officials requested complete and verifiable documentation from the previous administration.

The measures are intended to protect public resources during the transition.

Furthermore, the government is reviewing financial commitments inherited from the ministry. This process could determine which obligations must continue and which can be terminated.

Senior Officials Face Changes

The Colombia Ministry of Equality liquidation is also affecting its leadership structure.

Several vice ministers were removed from their positions as the new administration reorganized the entity. Meanwhile, the liquidation team continues reviewing staffing requirements.

These changes reflect the ministry’s new legal status.

Since the institution is being closed, its administrative structure no longer operates in the same way as an active ministry. Therefore, staffing decisions are increasingly tied to the needs of the liquidation itself.

Why Is the Ministry Being Closed?

The story began with a Constitutional Court decision concerning the law that created the ministry.

The Ministry of Equality and Equity was established through Law 2281 of 2023. However, Colombia’s Constitutional Court later found procedural problems with that legislation.

The court allowed time for Congress to correct those problems. However, the required legislative solution was not completed before the deadline. Consequently, the ministry entered liquidation in June 2026.

The closure was then formalized through Decree 626.

Programs Still Need an Orderly Transition

Closing the ministry does not eliminate the public responsibilities associated with its former programs.

Therefore, the transition remains an important issue. Colombia’s Ombudsman’s Office has stressed that continuity, funding and institutional coordination should be protected during the process.

In particular, programs serving vulnerable populations require clear institutional arrangements.

Moreover, authorities need to determine which government bodies will assume responsibilities previously managed by the ministry.

Liquidator Takes Control of Assets and Liabilities

Colombian law gives the liquidator broad responsibilities.

These include managing the liquidation of assets and settling the institution’s liabilities. The liquidator is also responsible for directing the closure process.

Meanwhile, funding for the process in 2026 will come from available resources within the ministry’s existing budget section.

Resources required during 2027 will also be allocated under the budget for the ministry in liquidation. Eventually, another government institution will be designated to preserve and manage its archives.

For now, the Colombia Ministry of Equality liquidation remains an ongoing administrative process. The latest measures show that the government is moving from the formal decision to close the institution toward the practical work required to complete that process.