Why did the Constitutional Court overturn the new name of the Air Force?

This Thursday, March 14, the Constitutional Court of Colombia declared unenforceable the name change of the Colombian Air Force (FAC) to the Colombian Aerospace Force (FAC). The decision, which has generated various reactions, is based on the fact that Congress did not have the power to make this change through an ordinary law, but a constitutional reform was required.

The debate on changing the name of the FAC began in 2022, when the National Government presented a bill to Congress with the objective to modify the name of the institution. The bill argued that the new name better reflected the FAC’s capabilities and missions, which now include space operations.

However, the Attorney General’s Office opposed the name change and filed a lawsuit before the Constitutional Court. arguing that it was unconstitutional. The Attorney General’s Office argued that the name change of an institution as important as the FAC required a constitutional reform, since it implied a modification to the structure of the State.