Patricia Linares is a lawyer from the Universidad Santo Tomás in Bogotá and holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
She served as an auxiliary magistrate at the Constitutional Court, Deputy Attorney for Human Rights and Ethnic Affairs, and advisor to the National Center for Historical Memory, the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Colombia, and various international organizations. In 2017, she was appointed as the President of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), part of Colombia's Comprehensive System for Truth, Justice, Reparation, and Non-Repetition (SIVJRNR), established under the Final Agreement for the Termination of the Conflict and the Construction of a Stable and Lasting Peace. In this role, she played a pivotal role in the establishment and consolidation of this justice mechanism, which is focused on uncovering the truth, repairing victims, and reintegrating those responsible for the conflict.
In the public sector, she has also held positions such as General Secretary and Legal Advisor at the Judicial Administration Directorate, and General Secretary at the ICFES (Colombian Institute for the Promotion of Higher Education) and at the National Pedagogical University.
Her career has been marked by a strong commitment to human rights, social justice, peace, and the reparation of victims of the armed conflict in Colombia, advocating for a comprehensive approach to these issues.
Additionally, Linares has taught at several universities, including the National University of Colombia, Los Andes University, and the Externado University of Colombia, and has been a speaker at various academic institutions, sharing her expertise in law, transitional justice, and human rights.
Among her more than 30 publications are Documentary Retratos de Familia: The “False Positives” of Soacha (2013), (2013), Impunity for Human Rights Violations and the International Criminal Court: The Colombian Case (2013), (2013); Documentary Series – The Archives and the Duty of Memory of the Colombian State in Cases of Human Rights Violations during the Armed Conflict (2011-2012), (2011-2012), Women, Truth, Justice, and Reparation: The Impact of the Justice and Peace Law on Colombian Women (2008), (2008), Land and Displacement in Colombia (2006), (2006), Documentary Series – Follow-up on Public Policies in Demobilization and Reintegration (2006-2008), and Ethnic Diversity in Colombia: Scope and Development (2004). (2004).
Linares has received numerous awards for her work in the human rights field, particularly for her ability to lead complex processes in the context of conflict and polarization. Her dedication to the pursuit of truth, justice, and reparation has been essential in advancing the reconciliation and peace processes in Colombia.