Symbolic analysis of the executive branch from cultural legitimacy in Colombia

This article critically analyzes Title VII —“ On the Executive Branch”— of the 1991 Colombian Constitution through a cultural- sociological lens , grounded in Émile Durkheim's theory of moral cohesion and classical legal positivism . The paper explores whether the normative framework governing the Executive reflects the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), particularly in terms of institutional legitimacy , access to public administration , and procedural justice . Furthermore , it examines the alignment between the constitutional roles of the Executive and the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ), with special emphasis on SDG 10 ( reduction of inequalities ), SDG 16 ( strong institutions ), and SDG 17 ( multi-level partnerships ). Through a structural , symbolic , and territorial analysis , this study identifies both the strengths and limitations of the Executive's constitutional design , emphasizing the gap between legal formalism and sociocultural legitimacy .<b>Key words: </b>Constitution, Executive, Human Rights, SDGs, Legitimacy