Colombia's Ombudsman Calls for Sebastian Villa's Exclusion from National Team Over Gender‑Violence Convictions

Colombia's Defensoría del Pueblo, led by Ombudsman Iris Marín Ortiz, sent an open letter to the Colombian Football Federation urging the removal of midfielder Sebastián Villa from the national squad. Villa has been convicted of gender‑based violence and faces a separate sexual‑abuse allegation. Marín Ortiz argued that the national jersey represents the country's values and should not shield individuals from justice, recalling the 2011 dismissal of coach Hernán Darío Gómez after an assault on a woman as a precedent for holding football figures accountable.

The ombudsman warned that allowing a player with such a record to represent Colombia would send a harmful message, undermining efforts to combat violence against women and compromising the ethical integrity of the sport.