Colombia’s Memory Center to Be Led by an Armed Conflict Denier
The Government of Abelardo De la Espriella officially appointed D’Mar Cordoba Salamanca as the new director of the National Center for Historical Memory (CNMH), an institution created to document the violence suffered by millions of Colombians during decades of armed conflict. His appointment has sparked controversy over the positions the lawyer and journalist has expressed […]
Colombia has appointed D’mar Cordoba as the new director of the National Center for Historical Memory (CNMH), despite significant controversy surrounding his views on the armed conflict and the Peace Agreement. Cordoba, a lawyer and journalist with ties to conservative sectors, has previously expressed criticism of the conflict and the agreement reached with FARC in 2016.
He took office on August 26, 2026, after his appointment was formally approved. Upon assuming his new role, Cordoba acknowledged the existence of the armed conflict, stating that he does not intend to modify existing reports published by the center. However, his career has been marked by questions about how the state uses the legal category of armed conflict and by a critical perspective on peace process narratives.
The CNMH was established under Law 1448 of 2011 to document the violence experienced by millions of Colombians during the conflict, with the aim of promoting the right to truth, symbolic reparations, and non-repetition. The center also manages the Museum of Memory of Colombia and conducts research, archives, educational activities, and projects to preserve victims' experiences.
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