Colombia's UNP withdraws security for former Petro administration officials

The National Protection Unit (UNP), led by Didier Fabián Blanco Rodríguez, has ordered the removal of security details for several former ministers, directors, and political figures associated with the administration of Gustavo Petro. The decision is part of a review of security measures granted during the previous administration.

Among those affected are former ministers including Armando Benedetti (Interior), Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo (Health), José Antonio Ocampo and Germán Ávila (Finance), Yesenia Olaya (Science), Antonio Sanguino (Labor), Diana Morales (Commerce), Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio (Foreign Relations), and Yeimi Carina Murcia (ICT). Other notable figures losing protection include former intelligence director Jorge Lemus, former health superintendent Daniel Quintero, and former Ecopetrol board president Ángela María Robledo.

The affected individuals have ten days to appeal the decision. While the loss of public office does not automatically terminate protection, the UNP stated that resolutions must be based on individual risk assessments. The measures typically included armored vehicles, bodyguards, and bulletproof vests.