The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, reported on Tuesday, April 15 that given the increase in cases due to yellow fever in the country, he will decree economic and health emergency in order to protect life in the face of the threat of the virus.
(Read: Petro will decree economic emergency due to yellow fever: Is Bogotá at risk?).
“I am going to decree the economic emergency, after the health. But not because of what the smuggers, washing machines and tankers say, which are the ones who have been dominating Colombia’s economic policy, but for something simple and forceful: life. We are again before a virus. This is the yellow fever virus unleashed by the female mosquito called Aedes aegypti”the head of state wrote in his X account, from where he gave the news.
It is not the first time that President Petro resorts to this figure. The president had already decreed an economic emergency in La Guajira, which was subsequently annulled by the Constitutional Court.
(See: President Petro will decree economic and health emergency for yellow fever).
Likewise, this court currently evaluates the declaration of internal shock in the Catatumbo, also decreed by the Government in the face of the crisis of violence in that region of the country.
President Gustavo Petro
Presidency
What is and what faculties grant?
As indicated by the 1991 Constitution, the president can resort to the economic emergency figure when events that disturb or threaten to seriously and imminently disturb the economic and social order or that constitute a serious public calamity.
It should be noted that The president can declare the state of emergency for periods of up to 30 days, which added can never exceed 90 days in the calendar year.
With these regulations, it can also be transitory, establish new taxes or modify existing ones.
(Here: ‘It is a tax disguised’: they reject proposal to modify retefuente rates).
In addition, this statement authorizes the Head of State, with the signing of all ministers, to issue decrees with force of law destined exclusively to conjure the crisis and to prevent the extension of its effects.
Finally, it is stipulated that both the president and the ministers will be responsible when they declare the state of emergency without having submitted any of the planned circumstances and will also be for any abuse committed in the exercise of the powers granted by the Constitution grants to the Government during the emergency.
Portfolio
