Colombia prepares decree for mandatory retirement of pensioned public officials

The Colombian government, led by President Abelardo De La Espriella, is preparing a decree to mandate the retirement of public officials who have already met the requirements for a pension. Announced by Vice President José Manuel Restrepo, the initiative aims to promote generational turnover within the public administration and create job opportunities for new professionals.

While the specific scope and exceptions of the proposal are still being defined, Vice President Restrepo emphasized that the measure does not seek to modify or eliminate acquired pension rights. The focus is on the continuity of employment rather than the pension payments themselves.

Under current Law 1821 of 2016, the mandatory retirement age for public servants was previously extended from 65 to 70 years. The new proposal has already raised concerns among labor unions, educational guilds, and the teaching profession regarding future job security for these workers.