Colombia's Attorney General urges interim university rector to step down immediately

Colombia's Attorney General's Office has formally called on the interim rector of the Universidad del Atlántico, Rafael Castillo Pacheco, to immediately hand over the position. The office's stance is that a provisional measure from the Administrative Court of the Atlántico has already taken legal effect, necessitating Castillo's departure.

The dispute over the university's leadership intensified following a recent confrontation on campus. Leyton Barrios, the claimant to the rectorate, entered the university accompanied by students, legal advisors, and officials from the Attorney General's office to assert his right to resume the position. Castillo, however, maintained that he could not leave his office until the scope of the judicial decision was clear.

The core of the controversy lies in a court order that provisionally suspended ministerial resolutions. These resolutions had previously placed the Universidad del Atlántico under special surveillance and removed Barrios from his post in December 2025. The Attorney General's office argues that by suspending these resolutions, the legal basis for Castillo's interim appointment has been nullified, requiring the restoration of the prior situation – namely, Barrios's election by the Superior University Council.

Castillo responded by publishing an open letter to the university community, reaffirming his respect for judicial decisions but stating his intention to seek clarification and supplementary details regarding the ruling. The Attorney General's office warned that continued exercise of the rector's duties, signing administrative acts, or entering into contracts could lead to disciplinary and even criminal consequences, including potential charges of fraud against a judicial resolution and usurpation of public functions.