Iván Duque

Opposed to the peace agreement signed in 2016 with the FARC guerrilla group, Duque, nevertheless stated at the time of his election that he had no intention of "smashing it to bits". As president, he tried to eliminate certain points of the agreement. His government sought to weaken the Special Jurisdiction for Peace and cut the budget of the Truth Commission and the Unit for the Search for Disappeared Persons by 30%. The government also promoted generals involved in extrajudicial executions (see : "False positives" scandal), appoints controversial figures to key positions and halts negotiations with the other guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN).[22]

Through its National Development Plan 2018–2022, the Colombian government planned to revive the country's gold and copper markets. In addition, 161 new oil drilling sites were planned for 2022, four times more than the 46 existing in 2018. Hydraulic fracturing was legalised in 2019. The plan was widely criticised by environmentalists, who considered it dangerous for the environment and the climate, and offering the country's non-renewable resources to foreign multinationals. The share of extraction profits paid to the state has dropped to 0.4% for gold and silver, and 3.27% for open-cast coal mines. The plan also threatened indigenous communities, whose territories and resources were under threat. In mid-2019 the Pan-American Highway was blocked for several weeks by the mobilisation of thousands of indigenous people in the department of Cauca.[23]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Colombian government created the "Prevention and Action" television programme, in which Duque communicated with citizens through a national network, with the Colombian public and private media, broadcasting every day at 6pm.[24] The program enjoyed great popularity initially, since it was shown as an effective means to timely communicate the news about the measures used to contain the spread COVID-19. His approval rating increased at the start of the pandemic, as a result. However, the program was extended over time and lost popularity, as there were no constant news about the pandemic; the program mutated to a space where Duque talked to the public, however the program continued during the start of the 2021 protests, Duque continued to present the television program, which generated strong criticism. By May 2021, as protests continue and the unemployment was out of control, the programme ended.

In 2020, the defence minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo died of COVID-19, and was replaced by Diego Molano.[25] As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, GDP in Colombia decreased by 6.8% in 2020, the worst drop in the country's GDP in history.[26]

Insecurity in Colombia has increased during Iván Duque's presidency.[27] In four years there have been more than 260 massacres that have left more than 1,100 people dead. Violence against social leaders in the territories has increased substantially. As of 4 June 2022, 930 social leaders had been assassinated. In addition, 245 former FARC combatants who took advantage of the Peace Accords have been assassinated during the Duque government.

Duque made the war on drugs a central issue of his presidency and called his country "a partner for all of the Western Hemisphere in the fight against drugs."[28][29] Despite his efforts, however, cocaine production reached record highs during his presidency.[30] With a potential output of 1,400 metric tons in 2022 according to the UN, Colombia remained the world's leading producer of the drug.[31]

The 2019–2020 Colombian protests were a collection of protests that have occurred since 21 November 2019.[32] Hundreds of thousands of Colombians demonstrated to support the Colombian peace process and against the Duque government.[32][33][34] Demonstrators criticise also the government's desire to make the labour market more flexible, to reduce the public pension fund in favour of private entities and to raise the retirement age . The unions also protested against the tax reform aimed at reducing the taxes paid by companies and against the planned privatisation of public companies such as the oil company Ecopetrol and the electricity company Cenit. The army was deployed in the main cities of the country and a curfew was introduced.[35] The unpopularity rate of Iván Duque reached almost 70%.[36]

The 2021 Colombian protests began on 28 April 2021 against increased taxes proposed by the Duque government amid the pandemic.[37]

The Presidency of Ivan Duque has continued the policies of his predecessor Juan Manuel Santos in regards to immigration and the Venezuelan refugee crisis. Ivan Duque's government has been a vocal supporter for the refugees at the United Nations and has provided aid, schooling and health care for many, and has been a vocal critic of other South American countries closing of doors to Venezuelan refugees.[38]

In 2018, Duque dedicated 0.5% of government spending to supporting refugees accounting for about 20% of Colombia's budget short fall, despite opposition.[39] In response to this criticism on a televised address Duque stated: "For those who want to make from xenophobia a political path, we adopt the path of brotherhood, for those who want to outcast or discriminate against migrants, we stand up today ... to say that we are going to take them in and we are going to support them during difficult times."

Duque's policies regarding this issue have received repeated praise from international humanitarian organizations for its efforts to legalize, formalize and offer assistance to refugees, and the Atlantic has noted that it has set the bar welcoming refugees. A representative from the International Rescue Committee has noted that: "[she's] never seen a government trying this hard to register people and leave the borders open. Unfortunately," she added "the scale of this crisis, and the speed at which it changes, is more than Colombia can handle."[40] His decision to provide temporary protected legal status to nearly 1.7 million Venezuelan migrants drew praise from leaders around the world.[41]

Duque and his wife María Juliana Ruiz Sandoval with U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in 2019

Duque with U.S. President Joe Biden in 2022

Duque pursued very close relations with the Trump administration in the United States and supported its projects in Colombia and Latin America.[42] In return, Columbia benefited from U.S. military support and increased foreign aid funds.[43]

Duque described the Venezuelan government of Nicolás Maduro as dictatorial and supported the Trump administration's efforts for regime change, recognizing Juan Guaido as interim president and encouraging the country's military to back the Guaido government.[44]

Duque's government welcomed the removal of Bolivian President Evo Morales during the 2019 Bolivian political crisis, and was accused of interference in the Ecuadorian elections of 2021 by accusing the left-wing candidate Andrés Arauz of being financed by the Colombian guerrilla group ELN.[42]

Despite his party supporting Donald Trump during the 2020 US presidential election, Duque maintained very good relations under the presidency of Joe Biden. The Biden administration showed signs of favoring right-wing candidates in the Colombian presidential election of 2022: senior US diplomats spoke to the press about alleged Russian, Cuban and Venezuelan interference in the election in favor of leftist candidate Gustavo Petro, while US officials avoided meeting Petro before the election while meeting other candidates.[42]

Duque condemned the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and considered the invasion a violation of international law and the United Nations charter.[45]

Following the publication of alleged evidence in March 2018 that Duque's political party conspired with the drug trafficking organization of Marquitos Figueroa to commit fraud in the presidential election,[46] Congress's Accusations Committee and the National Electoral Council opened an investigation into his alleged role in the fraud.[47] The Supreme Court opened a criminal investigation into his political sponsor, right-wing former President Álvaro Uribe,[48] who is already being investigated for alleged witness fraud and bribery.

• Grand Collar of the Order of Boyacá.[55]
• Collar of the Order of San Carlos.[55]
• Grand Cross Extraordinary of the National Order of Merit.[55]
• Order of Merit Colonel Guillermo Fergusson.[55]

•  Brazil
  • Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross (2021).[56][57]
•  Dominican Republic
  • Grand Cross with Gold Breast Star, Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella (2022).[58][59]
•  Peru
  • Grand Collar of the Order of the Sun of Peru (2019).[60]
  • Medal of Honor of the Congress of the Republic of Peru (2019).[61]
•  Portugal
  • Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry (2022).[62]
•  Spain
  • Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (2021).[63]
•  South Korea
  • Grand Order of Mugunghwa (2021).[64][65]