Petro government appoints worker representatives to Comfenalco

On August 10, 2026, two days after the inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella, the outgoing government of Gustavo Petro defined the workers' representation on the Board of Directors of Comfenalco Antioquia. The measure was formalized by Resolution 2525, issued on August 5 by the Ministry of Labor.

Designation of worker representatives

Resolution 2525 established five principal worker representatives. Four of them – Ana Milena Mejía Lobo, Andrés Felipe Velosa Montoya, Juan Camilo Lopera Gutiérrez and Carlos Mario Castañeda Monsalve – were nominated by the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT). The fifth representative, John Eduardo Madrigal Escobar, was chosen to represent non‑unionized workers. The term of these five will be four years, according to the statutes of Comfenalco Antioquia, and the decision does not admit appeals.

Criteria and questions from Sinaltracomfenalco

The Sinaltracomfenalco union requested transparency regarding the criteria adopted by the Ministry of Labor in selecting the representatives. The organization highlighted that 80% of the main positions went to CUT candidates, while the CGT and CTC federations did not obtain representation. The union also pointed out the absence of a comparative matrix that explains why certain candidates were selected over other qualified ones.

Situation of business representation

In addition to the five worker representatives, the Board of Directors must include five representatives of affiliated business owners. So far, these positions remain vacant, as elections to fill them have not yet been held. The selection of business representatives should take place in a vote at the General Assembly of Affiliates, whose new date has not yet been set.

Judicial context and assembly pending matters

The assembly scheduled for August 5 was suspended by the Sixteenth Administrative Oral Court of Medellín, due to a tutela action filed by Diana Milena Chavarría Palacio. The judicial decision prevented the election of the new Board of Directors on the originally planned date. The interim director of Comfenalco Antioquia, Juan Pablo Morales, confirmed that the notification of the representatives' selection arrived on August 4, a day before Espriella’s inauguration.

Possible changes by the new government

Morales emphasized that, although the names are already formally recorded, the new government may resort to legal instruments to enact changes. He stated that the selection of the representatives was not made by Comfenalco itself, but by the Ministry of Labor together with the workers' federations, and that they await the court’s ruling between Thursday and Friday of the same week. The judicial outcome will determine whether a new date for the assembly will be set and, consequently, when the business representatives will be elected.

With information from El Colombiano.