Great controversy has caused the Government, headed by President Gustavo Petro, to declare a state of internal commotion and an economic emergency to face the severe crisis that is being registered in Catatumbo, in Norte de Santander.
The great fear, on the one hand, lies in the fact that the president will use the state of internal commotion to impose other regulations and decree an economic emergency to order the taxes that he failed to support with his tax reform project.
In, from, Daniel Palacios, former Minister of the Interior; Carolina Arbeláez, representative to the Chamber for Radical Change, and Heraclito Landínez, representative to the Chamber for the Historical Pact, had conflicting opinions.
In the midst of said debate, the congresswoman assured that Petro should incur in social investment to face the crisis, in the expenditure of resources, budget execution, calls that have already been made to them on other fronts. However, Landínez assured that decreeing a state of emergency is contemplated by the Constitution and is looking for a way to resort to regulations, without going through the legislature, to try to counteract the humanitarian situation of Catatumbo.
Regarding the economic emergency, the congressman said that it is normal for President Petro to seek resources to address the situation. Regarding the fears of imposing taxes hastily, without going through Congress and after his failed tax reform, the congressman from the Historical Pact said that taxes can be ordered, but temporarily.
“It could create them temporarily on some issues, rates, taxes or contributions and then the Congress of the Republic may adopt them or not,” added Landínez, pointing out that an imposition of taxes, without approval from the Legislature, will not pass. “It is very easy to criticize the Government, the opposition has always questioned the president, when it is the opposite. He has brought all the reforms to Congress.”
Colombia is awaiting a possible declaration of a state of internal commotion by the president, Gustavo Petro, in the midst of an onslaught by guerrillas and drug traffickers that has left around 100 dead and almost 20,000 displaced in the Catatumbo region.
Faced with the recent unprecedented violent escalation, the president took this exceptional decision that empowers the Executive to take extraordinary measures, such as, release resources and restrict the mobility of inhabitants.
Since Thursday, different outbreaks of violence have broken out in the country, the most serious in the Catatumbo region, bordering Venezuela. The National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla attacked the civilian population and clashed with FARC dissidents who did not accept the 2016 peace agreement.
The prolonged onslaught included targeted assassinations and combats that left a balance of at least 80 dead and almost 20,000 displaced in this region plagued by drug crops.
On Monday, the Ministry of Defense reported the death of 20 guerrillas in the department of Guaviare due to clashes between two enemy factions of deserters from the pact that put an end to the FARC. And in the department of Bolívar, clashes between the ELN and the Clan del Golfo drug trafficking gang left nine dead, according to authorities.
The Constitution indicates that the president can decree the state of internal commotion in “case of serious disturbance of public order that imminently threatens institutional stability, State security, or citizen coexistence.”
The constitutional article does not dictate specific measures and gives an open letter to the Executive to carry out the actions “necessary to avert the causes of the disturbance and prevent the extension of its effects.”
Petro has not specified the scope of the declaration, which can last a maximum period of 90 days, “extendable for up to two equal periods,” according to the Magna Carta.
So far the public force has not come in to confront the guerrillas in critical areas. The more than 5,000 soldiers deployed have concentrated on rescuing the population at risk in helicopters. Of the 9.8 million victims left by six decades of armed conflict, 8.8 are displaced.
The fighting in the municipality of Calamar broke out between men under the command of Calarcá, head of a dissident group that negotiates peace with the Government, and Iván Mordisco, a guerrilla leader who did not sign the historic 2016 agreement with the extinct FARC.
Initially, Iván Mordisco was in charge of the peace talks with the Government, but his organization split in two. Mordisco left the table with a slam of the door, but Calarcá, one of his trusted men, created an independent group that is still in talks with Petro. After that fracture, they became enemies and several territories of Colombia.