Danilo Rojas elected president of Colombia's JEP

Magistrate Danilo Alfonso Rojas Betancourth has been elected president of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) in Colombia for the 2026-2028 term. Following a vote by the Full Chamber on October 20, 2026, Rojas secured 23 votes, defeating candidates Reinere Jaramillo Chaverra and Camilo Suárez Aldana.

Rojas is scheduled to assume office on November 5, succeeding Alejandro Ramelli Arteaga. A former president of the Council of State with extensive experience in human rights and constitutional law, Rojas will lead the body responsible for investigating and judging the most serious crimes committed during Colombia's armed conflict.

The new presidency faces significant institutional challenges, most notably a projected budget reduction of approximately $181 billion pesos for 2027. This fiscal constraint, alongside ongoing political and legal debates regarding the future of transitional justice, poses risks to the entity's operational capacity and its ability to fulfill commitments to victims.