Brigadier General Federico Alberto Mejía Torres appears in Decree 1591 of October 22, 2026, regarding promotions, so he will be promoted to Major General starting next December 1, despite being charged with the crimes of prevarication by action, favoritism, ideological falsehood in a public document, and procedural fraud related to the capture of a civilian.
Mejía was in command of military operations against the guerrilla in the department of Cauca, particularly in the area of the Micay Canyon, a territory where the Army has maintained a strong presence.
The promotion is the subject of a criminal investigation for events that occurred in January 2024, when a man was detained in the district of El Plateado, in the municipality of Argelia (Cauca), and was subsequently allegedly returned to that same locality along with the substance that had been seized.
The Prosecutor's Office is particularly focusing on the decisions made after the capture and on the reports that were prepared to document what happened, actions in which 36 military personnel were involved.
Additionally, the decree provides for the reinstatement to active service of four colonels who had left the institution between 2023 and 2024, during the government of President Gustavo Petro. These are Johny Hernando Bautista Beltrán, Alex Guillermo Tarazona Zambrano, Jairo Antonio Castillo Colorado, and Leonardo Mauricio Bastos Martínez, who, in turn, will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.
All promotions provided for in the decree must undergo the corresponding process in the Senate of the Republic, an organ that has the constitutional competence to endorse the promotions of general and insignia officers.