Colombia child marriage law sanctioned under Petro, not De la Espriella

Claims circulating on social media regarding the origin of Colombia’s Law 2447 of 2025 are incorrect. Misinformation suggests that the law prohibiting child marriage and early marital unions was sanctioned by the government of Abelardo de la Espriella, who assumed the presidency on August 7, 2026.

In reality, Law 2447 was sanctioned on February 13, 2025, during the administration of Gustavo Petro. The document was signed by then-Minister of Health Guillermo Jaramillo, who was exercising presidential functions while Petro was on an official visit to Doha, Qatar.

The legislation, known as ‘Son niñas no esposas’, was driven by congresswomen Alexandra Vásquez and Jennifer Pedraza. It establishes a total prohibition on marriages and de facto unions involving individuals under the age of 18, removing previous exceptions for parental consent or judicial authorization. The law also established the ‘Proyectos de vida digna’ program led by the Icbf and a digital early warning system managed by the Ministry of ICT to detect risks of abuse and school dropout.