The Dirección Nacional de Inteligencia (DNI), or National Intelligence Directorate, is Colombia’s strategic intelligence and counterintelligence organ. The Directorate has headquartered in Bogotá and operated there since 2011. The DNI is the leading institution in the national strategic intelligence sector, and it reports directly to the president.
A series of scandals involving its predecessor, the Administrative Department of Security (DAS), led to the creation of the DNI. The severe violation of fundamental rights, as well as upcoming negotiations with the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), led the government to create a new intelligence apparatus. Internal fights, the paramilitaries, and organised crime have shaped intelligence in Colombia. National security intelligence in the country is constantly evolving and adapting to the ever changing threats to the nation.
DNI Principles Symbol and Motto
DNI Mission
The DNI’s mission is to contribute to the protection, guarantee, and respect of human rights of Colombians and those residing in Colombia. This is done by producing strategic intelligence and state counterintelligence from a civilian perspective, oriented towards human security, allowing the achievement of the essential purposes of the state.
Symbol of DNI
In the symbol of the DNI, the three letters of the institutions stand in the center in front of a globe showing the Americas. Surrounding the globe, there is a blue line with the full name of the institution on top, Colombia in the bottom part, and in the centre on both sides the Colombian flag appears. Lastly, at the bottom of the symbol is the phrase “Inteligencia Estratégica al Servicio del País” or “Strategic Intelligence to the Service of the Country.”
Values
The Directorate lists its values as:
- Commitment
- Respect
- Excellence
- Honesty
- Equity- Justice
- Diligence
[source]
Colombian Intelligence History
Servicio de Inteligencia Colombiano – SIC
Colombia created its first Intelligence Service in 1953, naming it the Servicio de Inteligencia Colombiano (SIC). The military regime at the time created created this intelligence service. The creation followed intelligence trends from the Latin American region in the 40s; particularly those in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. In addition to the regional influence, internal violence shaped the development of the initial intelligence services. [source, source]
During the short-lived military dictatorship from 1953 to 1957, SIC was the official intelligence agency of the country. Decree 2782 of 1953 established the creation of the SIC and determined its main functions: 1) ensure public tranquility by preventing attacks, 2) collaborate with judges and courts, with the authority to conduct investigative procedures and initiate investigations into criminal acts, and 3) investigate misconduct, abuse of authority, dereliction of duty, and irregularities by public officials or entities. The SIC held near-total authority to start investigations, kept its budget secret, and had the ability to deny the Public Ministry the right to intervene in urgent investigations. These near-total powers created an intelligence apparatus that prosecuted social movements and civilians lacking criminal intentions. [source]
Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad – DAS
Initial Years in Colombian Intelligence
Three years after the end of the military dictatorship, the Decree 1717 of 1960 dismantled the SIC and replaced it with the Administrative Department of Security (DAS). The Decree established the main functions of the DAS as: 1) execute Judicial Police functions, such as aiding the Judiciary branch by cooperating in the investigation of crimes, 2) cooperate in maintaining public order under the governmental direction and in collaboration with national police, and 3) maintain a registry of foreigners in national territory and oversee compliance with immigration.
Notably, from 1960 until 2011, Colombia considered immigration as a matter of national security. As such, immigration became one of the main tasks of intelligence work. While the DAS had significant improvements in the legal and organisational framework, it still lacked an adequate oversight mechanism. This, allowed for excesses and abuses, such as the prosecution of perceived ‘internal enemies’. As a result of this, and in the context of the Cold War, Colombia focused its intelligence apparatus on combatting leftist and communist ideals. [source, source]
In 1974, the president restructured the DAS and introduced an additional directorate called the ‘Central Directorate of Intelligence and Operative Units’. This Directorate was in charge of the general oversight of the entire agency. Furthermore, the Decree that restructured it, Decree 625 of 1974, stated that “all Authorities of the Republic, as well as public and private entities are obliged to lend the DAS and its agents the preferential and immediate cooperation that they may request.” [source]
Post-Cold War Colombian Intelligence
In 1992, following the completion of Colombia’s 1991 constitution, the DAS was for the first time cast as a professional security organ of the state absent political affiliation. Additionally, the restructuring stated that the DAS had to be a civilian, not military, intelligence body. In the year 2000, intelligence in Colombia was established as a means for decision-making. AFurthermore, intelligence helped in the formulation of security policies for internal and external matters. [source, source]
Organisation of DNI
Place in Government
The General Directorate of the DNI reports directly to the President of the Republic and the Council of National Security. By responding directly to the President, it is the highest executive power that chooses the General Director of the DNI. Additionally, the President also names the Chief of Internal Control and the General Inspector. [source]
In addition to the intelligence functions, the DNI must protect the President and the Vice President of the Republic, as well as their families. The National Unit of Protection and the Military House collaborate with the DNI in the protection. [source]
Organisational Structure
According to the legal framework governing the DNI, the organisational structure of the institution is as follows:
Personnel Recruitment
The DNI recruitment process that is publicly available states that interested individuals who want to contribute to the DNI Administrative Department, must send their resumes to the email talentohumano@dni.gov.co. Following the approval of the resume and the requirements of the institution, the candidate should pass “reliability tests.” However, the recruitment process for non-Administrative Department candidates is not publicly available.
Scandals and Controversies in Colombian Intelligence
The Chuzadas
In 2009, two years before the dissolution of the DAS and the creation of the DNI, investigations revealed a series of abuses and misuses linked to the DAS. They revealed that the DAS espionage network, better known as the ‘Chuzadas,’ illegally surveilled individuals within the state without judicial authority for most of the 2000s. The DAS carried out surveillance primarily against journalists, human rights defenders, and individuals not associated with the ruling government at the time.
The ‘Chuzadas’ exposed illegal surveillance by the DAS and made news agencies and the public aware of the numerous human rights violations the agency committed over the past decades. Relevantly, the scandal revealed the alliance of DAS with illegal groups such as paramilitaries and narcotraffickers. Additionally, revealed links to several assassinations from the 80s and 90s of presidential candidates, representatives, and other individuals. The severity of the scandals severely damaged the credibility of the institution and highlighted the need for a proper, strict regulation of intelligence in the country. The understanding of this institutional crisis is necessary to understand the background against which the DNI was created. [source, source]
2024 Bribes
In 2024, then DNI Director Carlos Ramón González was accused of orchestrating bribes towards two members of congress in exchange for legislative support in the government the year prior. The money for the bribes allegedly was diverted from a governmental contract and was supposed to go toward alleviating water needs for a coastal region of the country. In addition to the bribes, the scandal affected the overall trust of the government. This due to González’s closeness with President Gustavo Petro. González quit his post in July 2024. As a result of this, the government restructured the DNI. The Decree 1077 of 2024 stated that the operational model, the structure, and the personnel needed to be redesigned. Relevantly, this decree also improved the data protection capabilities of the centre. [source, source, source]
Conclusion
The Dirección Nacional de Inteligencia is regarded as the main and leading institution for strategic intelligence in Colombia. Internal conflicts, corruption, and several governmental efforts to democratize intelligence work have shaped its evolution. Consequently, the DNI constantly seeks to evolve, and the government creates new legal and institutional frameworks to support this effort.
Statements from the current President of Colombia directly address the crisis provoked by intelligence scandals and illegal surveillance as reasons to improve the DNI in the future. In addition, he has expressed his intentions to have not just the DNI, but all institutions that conduct intelligence in the country, to dedicate their attention to investigating organised crime leaders. In doing so, the institution is likely going to go under more severe reforms to strengthen its legal framework. Furthermore, the DNI could be better equipped for the fight against organised crime that Colombia has faced for several decades. The DNI annual budget shows this shift, increasing by approximately 79% from 2022 to 2025. This indicates that the presidency has been recognising the need for intelligence in the biggest security fights in the nation. As a result, the institution will likely experience more shifts in years to come.