On March 19, 2026, the Council of State annulled the appointment of Cielo Rusinque as Superintendent of Industry and Commerce after resolving several lawsuits challenging the election results of Decree 0098 of 2024. The decision was made by the Fifth Section of the high court, which concluded that the administrative act by which the Government made the appointment did not meet the legal requirements for holding the position.
The court determined that the official did not demonstrate the ten years of relevant professional experience required by law to hold the position. After reviewing the submitted documentation, the Court concluded that only 8 years, 6 months, and 25 days of experience were demonstrated, meaning that one of the minimum requirements established for heading the entity responsible for protecting competition and consumer rights was not met.
The ruling also noted that the requirement of postgraduate training in areas related to the entity’s functions was not adequately accredited. According to the court, these requirements aim to guarantee technical competence and independence of superintendence. Consequently, since the legal requirements were not met, the Council of State declared the appointment null and void and invalidated the decree of designation.
