Santa Cruz approves law to create Departmental Ombudsman

The Santa Cruz Departmental Legislative Assembly has approved the Law of the Departmental Ombudsman for the people of Santa Cruz. The new institution is designed to protect the rights and guarantees of the department's population and monitor the actions of public institutions to prevent rights violations.

Proposed by Assemblywoman Natasha Castedo, the law establishes the Ombudsman as a decentralized body within the departmental Executive branch. While it will be part of the Governor's institutional structure, it will maintain technical and administrative autonomy to perform its duties without being hierarchically subordinate to departmental secretariats. The law specifies that this office will not replace or interfere with the functions of the national Ombudsman (Defensoría del Pueblo).

Governor Juan Pablo Velasco described the approval as a historic milestone for departmental autonomy. While the law has passed, specific details regarding the selection process for the first Ombudsman, the requirements for the position, and the official commencement date are still pending.