COLOMBIA · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —What is happening Colonel Carlos Feria, who led security for former president Gustavo Petro, has been retired from Colombia’s National Police through a call to qualify services, news that emerged on Wednesday, 14 October without a police statement.
- —Why it matters Feria is a defendant in the case over a polygraph test given to a nanny, which has also produced charges against Petro’s former chief of staff, Laura Sarabia.
- —The numbers He faces three charges filed on Tuesday, 28 November 2023, which he did not accept; the polygraph dates from January 2023, and he had headed the police protection school only since August.
- —Who is who Feria is a National Police colonel who ran presidential protection under Petro, who left office on Friday, 7 August 2026; Sarabia, his former chief of staff, is charged in the same case.
- —What to watch Whether the police or the Defence Ministry publish the act behind the retirement, and how the long dispute over whether ordinary courts or military and police justice should handle the case is settled.
- —Power Index Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.9 points (October 2026 edition).
- —What it means for you This is a politics and justice story, not a market event: US authorities ordered Feria out of Washington in 2025, and the US Treasury has sanctioned Petro since 24 October 2025.
Colombian media say the National Police have retired the officer who led security for former president Gustavo Petro. He is a defendant in a polygraph case that has reached Petro’s former chief of staff.
Colombia’s National Police have retired Colonel Carlos Feria, Petro’s ex-security chief, Colombian media say. The United States ordered him out of Washington in 2025, and he is still a defendant in a polygraph case.
The news emerged on Wednesday, 14 October, in articles by El Tiempo, Semana and Infobae Colombia. No National Police statement on the case could be found at the time of writing on Thursday, 15 October.
How Petro’s Ex-Security Chief Left the Police
El Tiempo’s investigative unit wrote that Feria was notified that he had been called to qualify services. It said sources close to the officer confirmed the removal.
Semana wrote that he left the force for good, citing sources close to the institution. Infobae Colombia said it confirmed that he received notice of his retirement.
None of the three outlets named a decree, a resolution or the official who decided. None quoted the police, the Defence Ministry or Feria’s lawyer.
Until then Feria directed the police Escuela de Protección, the school that trains protection staff. Infobae Colombia and El País say he was named to that post in August.
Infobae Colombia and colombia.com quote a Petro post on X, which does not name Feria, as a reaction to the news. He wrote that “they persecute all who looked after my security on the orders of their superiors” and called it a vendetta.
Retirement Is Not a Dismissal
El Tiempo, Semana and La FM say he was called to qualify services (llamamiento a calificar servicios), an administrative retirement. El País of Cali headlined its story as a dismissal and its text says destituido, although its lead uses the same phrase.
Article 55 of Decreto 1791 of 2000, the police career decree, lists this call and dismissal as separate grounds for retirement. Apart from El País, which credits Semana for the news, no other outlet cited here describes a dismissal.
The Marelbys Meza Polygraph Case
Prosecutors say Feria arranged a polygraph test for Marelbys Meza, a former nanny in Laura Sarabia’s household, in January 2023. Sarabia was then Petro’s chief of staff and later served as his foreign minister.
The Attorney General’s Office says money had gone missing from Sarabia’s home and that state resources were used to find it. Semana says Meza was taken from Soacha to Casa Galán, near the presidential palace.
Prosecutors charged Feria on Tuesday, 28 November 2023, with misuse of state resources, abuse of public office and unlawful coercion. He did not accept the charges, Publimetro wrote at the time.
In 2024 the case moved toward trial, Noticias RCN wrote, but it has since stalled. Feria’s defence asked that military and police criminal justice take it over, arguing the facts were acts of service.
A Bogotá judge rejected a first request to move the case on 28 November 2023, El Tiempo wrote. The judge said not every act by a serving officer belongs to military justice.
Prosecutors charged Sarabia on Monday, 14 September 2026, with abuse of public office, unlawful coercion and misuse of state resources. She did not accept them, and the prosecutor said she directed Feria.
Feria’s Embassy Posting and the 2025 Expulsion
Feria was later posted as police attaché at Colombia’s embassy in Washington. Infobae Colombia and Blu Radio say US authorities ordered him out, and he was back in Bogotá by Wednesday, 2 July 2025.
Republican Representative María Elvira Salazar thanked the State Department on social media and said it had removed his diplomatic immunity. His lawyer, Marlon Díaz, called it a diplomatic decision and said the defence would not appeal.
What It Means for US Readers
The retirement is a politics and justice story, with no direct effect on travel to Colombia or on US-Colombia trade. It follows a 2025 episode in which US authorities ordered Feria out of Washington after Republican lawmakers pressed the State Department.
The US Treasury has sanctioned Petro since Friday, 24 October 2025, saying he let drug cartels flourish. It also listed his wife, his eldest son and then interior minister Armando Benedetti in the same action.
Readers can follow US comments on claims about Petro’s former first lady in a separate report. A profile of Petro covers his term, which ended on Friday, 7 August 2026 with Abelardo de la Espriella’s swearing-in.
The 2026 election analysis covers the vote that chose his successor. Visitors can consult the Bogotá city guide.
What Is Not Known
No decree, resolution or decision-maker has been identified, and the police have not explained why Feria was called. The reports do not say whether the retirement changes the dispute over which courts should hear his case.
No reaction from Feria or his lawyer was found in the reports. They give no date for a trial, and no court has ruled on the charges against Feria or Sarabia.
What Comes Next
The first test is whether the police or the Defence Ministry confirm the retirement and publish the act behind it. The second is the court dispute over whether ordinary or military and police justice should hear the case.
The retirement is an administrative step and does not by itself end a criminal case. Sarabia’s case runs separately, and no hearing date has been announced for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Carlos Feria?
Carlos Alberto Feria Buitrago is a National Police colonel who led security for Petro’s government. He later directed the police protection school and is a defendant in the Marelbys Meza polygraph case.
Was Carlos Feria dismissed?
Colombian outlets say he was called to qualify services, which is a retirement route rather than a disciplinary dismissal. El País of Cali used the word dismissed, but the other outlets cited here describe a retirement.
What is the Marelbys Meza case?
Prosecutors say Feria arranged a polygraph for Marelbys Meza, a former nanny, in January 2023 after money went missing. Both Feria and Laura Sarabia, Petro’s former chief of staff, are charged, and neither has been convicted.
Why does the case matter to the United States?
US authorities ordered Feria out of Washington in 2025 after Republican lawmakers pressed the State Department. The US Treasury has also sanctioned Petro since 24 October 2025.
Have the police confirmed the retirement?
No National Police statement could be found at the time of writing on Thursday, 15 October. The news comes from El Tiempo, Semana and Infobae Colombia, which cite sources.
Sources: El Tiempo, 14 October; Semana, 14 October; Infobae Colombia, 14 October; El País Cali, 14 October; La FM, 14 October; Infobae Colombia, 15 October; colombia.com, 14 October; Decreto 1791 of 2000, article 55 (Secretaría del Senado); Publimetro, 28 November 2023; El Tiempo, 14 December 2023; Noticias RCN, 27 March 2024; Publimetro, 14 September 2026; Infobae Colombia, 3 July 2025; Blu Radio, 2 July 2025; US Treasury, 24 October 2025; Publimetro, 7 August 2026 (all accessed 15 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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