Yebrail Haddad Linerooriginally from Ocaña (Norte de Santander) and graduated from the Externado University of Colombia, became one of the most relevant lawyers in Colombia when, early 2025, was appointed director of International Legal Defense of the State Defense Agency (Andje). One of the most delicate positions in the State, as it was in charge of coordinating the defense of national interests in multimillion-dollar investment lawsuits and was also accountable to the Inter-American Human Rights System. Today your present is different.
EL TIEMPO learned that, according to the public procurement platform SECOP, Haddad Linero has a current contract with National Radio Television of Colombia (Inravión)the public media system formerly known as RTVC. The contract was signed for a period of four months and 25 daysits value amounts to more than $53 million pesos and its purpose is to provide specialized legal advisory services to the legal office of Inravisión.
Yebrail Haddad Linero, former director of International Defense of Colombia. Photo:Andje
It is striking that the contract It was signed on August 6, 2026. That is, one day before the end of the government of Gustavo Petro. In the previous national administration, Haddad Linero was appointed by the former director of the State Defense Agency, the former magistrate César Palomino Cortés. Now, the most recent hiring process at Inravisión was certified by the then budget management coordinator Johana Gisella Lozano, granting Haddad a million-dollar contract prior to the change of government.
Verification of the contract in SECOP II. Photo:Secop
According to what is read in the contracting file, the Inravisión Legal Advisory Office “is in charge of comprehensive legal support of the entity, guaranteeing the legality of administrative actions, the adequate representation of institutional interests and compliance with the regulatory framework that regulates the information sector. information and communications technologiesas well as the other applicable provisions.”
The contractual need study establishes that the office handles a high volume of legal matters of high technical complexity, which demand specialized knowledge. Haddad is a lawyer and Master of Laws. According to his biography, he was a representative and mayor of Ocaña with endorsement of the Indigenous Social Alliance, director of the National Family Welfare System, Governance advisor for Peace of the United Nations Development ProgramSecretary of Government and Governor (e) of Norte de Santander, and assistant magistrate of the Council of State.
The contract establishes that Haddad is charged with supporting strategy formulation legal to strengthen institutional management and fulfill the mission of the Legal Advisory Office; develop specialized legal conceptsresponses to requirements, official communications and other legal documents addressed to control organizations, judicial authorities, public entities and internal agencies.
Haddad contract document. Photo:Secop
Likewise, support the execution, monitoring and verification of compliance with the Improvement Plan for the Legal Advisory Office regarding commitments derived from internal and external audits; analyze and project regulatory initiatives, administrative acts and other regulatory instruments submitted to the entity’s consideration; and comprehensively process the requests, actions, requirements and processes that arise before the Communications Regulatory Commission (CRC)carrying out the corresponding legal analysis, preparing the institutional responses and carrying out the technical and legal follow-up until its completion.
The Yebrail Haddad of the Petro era
From 2025the State Defense Agency had two faces on the international front. In the inter-American human rights system the State adopted a policy of recognizing responsibility In emblematic cases such as Jaime Garzón, Patriotic Union, the Barrancabermeja massacreas well as with individual victims of false positives and state persecution. In investment arbitrations, that is, international lawsuits for failed businesses in which Colombia is blamed, the entity achieved the first negotiated solution to an international conflict.
In January 2025in a hearing before the Inter-American Court of Human Rightsthe Agency admitted that the State failed to fulfill its duty to investigate impartially and effectively the detention, torture and death of Luis Fernando Lalindewhich occurred in 1984 at the hands of members of the Army. In June, the entity went further in the case of Jaime Garzón. The management of the Agency, on behalf of Colombia, widely recognized the international responsibility for the murder of the comedian, despite the fact that the State had initially maintained a denialist position before the Inter-American Commission.
In investment, the most relevant event was the agreement with the Canadian mining company Aris Miningannounced in November 2025. It was the first time that Colombia reached a negotiated solution in the award stage of an investment arbitration, and ended a process before the ICSIDstarted in 2018 under the rules of the FTA with Canada. The Agency maintained that a possible conviction was avoided close to US$380 million dollarsa figure that was part of the company’s claims.
Yebrail Haddad Linero, director of International Defense of Colombia. Photo:Andje
The contract of discord
On the other hand, in March 2025the former senator Jorge Robledo warned about an alleged irregular procedure in the Agency’s contracting processes, during the international coordination of Haddad Linero. It was about the linking of the Astrea law firmwhich had been recently created and did not have experience in investment arbitrations, to a delicate process in which the Chinese mining company Zijin Continental Gold he claims US$430 million to Colombia for the invasion of Gulf Clan to its concessioned mine in Buriticá (Antioquia).
The scandal, at the time, was capital because the Astrea firm was made up of lawyers mostly from Norte de Santander, where Haddad is a well-known politician. Astrea was going to be linked to the process in an outsourced manner, after the possible contracting of the Agency with the American firm Hughes Hubbard & Reedwhich was going to assume the defense of the file. However, under pressure from the media the agreement fell apart. At the time, the Attorney General’s Office and the Ministry of Justice verified what had happened, but They found no irregularities.
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