Laura Sarabia, Colombia’s Foreign Minister, Steps Down Due to Passport Issue

Laura Sarabia, Colombia’s foreign minister, resigned because she didn’t agree with how the government was handling a contract for printing national passports.

Announcing her resignation on Thursday, Colombia’s Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia cited her disapproval of recent government choices pertaining to the nation’s passport printing procedure. 

Her exit exacerbates the growing political unrest that President Gustavo Petro’s administration is dealing with.

Due to a controversial change in a government contract involving the printing of national passports, the resignation was made. 

“In the last few days, decisions have been made that I do not agree with,” Sarabia said on X (previously Twitter), expressing her disagreement of the shift. She also stated that she had decided to retire out of “personal coherence and institutional respect.”

After serving as Petro’s chief of staff, Sarabia was named Colombia’s senior diplomat in January. The socialist government is experiencing increasing internal conflicts, especially with regard to procurement and administrative procedures, as evidenced by her departure.