Who runs local government in Colombia?
Colombia has 32 departments and about 1,103 municipalities, all with elected governors, mayors and councils. Its 1991 constitution also recognises Indigenous reserves (resguardos) governed by their own councils (cabildos), Afro-Colombian community councils, and a special Indigenous justice system. At street level, almost every neighbourhood and village has a Junta de Acción Comunal, a legally registered community council with elected leaders.
Republic of Colombia · Unitary republic (decentralised) · South America
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Departments (32) | Governor and departmental assembly directly elected for four years | Co-ordinate municipalities, regional roads, health and education networks. |
| Municipalities and districts (about 1,102 + Bogotá Capital District) | Mayor (alcalde) and municipal council (concejo) directly elected for four years | Local services, planning, schools and health within national rules. |
| Comunas, corregimientos and Bogotá's 20 localidades | Local administrative boards (Juntas Administradoras Locales, JAL) directly elected; Bogotá's local mayors appointed by the city mayor from a list proposed by the JAL | Oversee local services and propose small investments. |
Three questions about local power in Colombia
Are local leaders elected?
Governors, mayors, assemblies, councils and JALs are directly elected. JAC leaders are elected by their members. Cabildo governors are chosen by Indigenous communities by custom (often yearly assembly). Bogotá's local mayors are appointed.
Which laws set up local government?
Departments, municipalities, resguardos, Indigenous jurisdiction and Afro-Colombian community councils are in the constitution or law. JACs are private non-profit bodies but are created and regulated by national law. Authority of armed groups in some areas is illegal and not recognised.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Elected officials answer to voters, the Inspector General (Procuraduría), the Comptroller and courts; mayors and governors can be recalled by referendum. JACs are overseen by the Interior Ministry and local governments, which can suspend their legal status. Cabildos answer to community assemblies, and the Constitutional Court reviews Indigenous justice decisions.
Traditional and customary authority
The constitution recognises Colombia as multi-ethnic. Indigenous resguardos are collectively owned and cannot be sold (Art. 63, Art. 329); the OECD counts about 966 resguardos, covering nearly 30% of the national territory. Each is usually run by a cabildo, an Indigenous council whose governor and members are chosen each year by the community under its own customs and registered with the municipality. Indigenous authorities can exercise justice within their territory under their own rules, as long as these do not breach the constitution or national law (Art. 246). Decree 1953 of 2014 lets some resguardos manage public money directly. Afro-Colombian communities on the Pacific coast hold collective land through community councils (consejos comunitarios) under Law 70 of 1993. The Catholic Church and other religious groups have no formal local powers.
Community and neighbourhood power
Juntas de Acción Comunal (JAC, community action boards) are non-profit civic organisations with legal personality, made up of residents of a neighbourhood (barrio) or rural village (vereda). Law 2166 of 2021 sets their rules: members elect leaders (dignatarios) for the same term as public bodies (four years), with national JAC elections held on a fixed date the year before local elections. JACs join into associations, federations and a national confederation, and are supervised by the Interior Ministry and local authorities. They often build roads, run community halls and act as the link between residents and the mayor, especially in rural areas.
Points to know
- JACs date from 1958 and are one of the oldest forms of community organisation in Latin America; Colombia has tens of thousands of them.
- Cabildo authority in resguardos comes partly from a law of 1890 (Law 89), which the 1991 constitution later reinforced.
- The constitution allows Indigenous Territorial Entities to become full local governments, but the law to create them has never been fully passed; Decree 1953 of 2014 is a temporary arrangement.
- In remote areas where armed groups operate, JAC leaders and Indigenous authorities are often under heavy pressure, and UN human rights reports have documented killings of many community leaders.
Local terms
- Junta de Acción Comunal (JAC)
- A legally registered neighbourhood or village council with elected leaders.
- Resguardo
- A collectively owned Indigenous reserve that cannot be sold.
- Cabildo
- The council that governs an Indigenous community or resguardo.
- Vereda
- A rural village area within a municipality.
Sources
- Colombia's Constitution of 1991 with Amendments through 2015, Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Country profile: Colombia, OECD–UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment, checked 14 October 2026
- Ley 2166 de 2021 (organismos de acción comunal), Secretaría General del Senado de Colombia, checked 14 October 2026
- Ley 70 de 1993 (comunidades negras), Secretaría General del Senado de Colombia, checked 14 October 2026
See also: Colombia's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.