Antonio Navarro Wolff, former M-19 leader and 1991 constitution president, dies at 78

Antonio Navarro Wolff, former president of Colombia's 1991 National Constituent Assembly, died at age 78 on Sunday, November 1, 2026, his family confirmed. The death occurred in Bogota at approximately 2:42 p.m., according to a brief family statement.

Navarro Wolff was born on July 9, 1948, in Pasto, Nariño. He studied sanitary engineering at the University of the Valle and later specialized in environmental engineering at Loughborough University in England.

“We want to arrange Antonio's farewell in the intimacy of our family.”

He joined the M-19 guerrilla movement in 1974 and remained an active member until 1990, when the group signed a peace agreement with the government. He served as second commander under Carlos Pizarro and survived an assassination attempt at a cafeteria in Cali in May 1985.

Following the peace process, Navarro Wolff became a central figure in drafting Colombia's 1991 Constitution. His party, AD-M-19, won one-third of the seats in the constituent assembly, making it a decisive force. He was one of three presidents of the assembly alongside Horacio Serpa and Alvaro Gomez.

His political career included serving as governor of Nariño from 2008 to 2011, as health minister, and as a candidate for mayor of Cali and president of Colombia. Until his final days, he remained active in politics as co-president of the Green Party.

The family requested a private farewell and said the funeral date would be announced on Monday. They described Navarro Wolff as the last surviving member of the triumvirate that led the 1991 constituent assembly.