To prosper in the Congress of the Republic a bill that begins to be processed, on March 8 of the next year the inhabitants of the Caribbean region will vote for their regional autonomy, which will be a historical fact for decentralization in Colombia.
This aspiration gathers Atlantic, Bolívar, Cesar, Córdoba, La Guajira, Magdalena, Sucre and San Andrés.
The process began this Wednesday, August 20, when The governors presented to the Territorial Planning Commission the bill that formalizes the transition of Administrative and Planning Region (RAP Caribe) in a region as a territorial entity (RET Caribe).
This figure, contemplated in articles 306 and 307 of the Political Constitution of 1991, it would allow the region to acquire political, administrative and fiscal autonomy, with the ability to directly manage their resources and define their development priorities.
If approved, a binding popular consultation would be enabled during the parliamentary elections of March 8, 2026, in which citizens will decide if the region makes the definitive leap towards territorial autonomy.
Eduardo Summer de la Rosa, governor of the Atlantic.
Vanexa Romerio/The Time
What does the change of rap to RET mean?
The Caribbean Rap is a voluntary association figure between departments, created in 2017, which allows the joint planning of regional projects. However, its scope is limited: it has no budgetary autonomy or decision -making capacity on public policies.
Instead, The RET Caribe would be a constitutionally recognized territorial entity, with the powers to administer resources, execute projects, coordinate cross -border policies and participate directly in the General Participation System (SGP).
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According to the governor of the Atlantic, Eduardo Summer, president of the Caribbean Rap, “The RET will allow us to handle 39.5 % of the resources of the SGP, which will institutionally strengthen the region and allow more agile decisions and adjusted to our realities.”
As the governor informed the parliamentarians, the support has been broad and transversal in the region. This is how The governors of the eight coastal departments have approved ordinances in their respective assemblies to empower the request for conversion of the rap to RET.
In Bolívar, for example, the Departmental Assembly approved in the second debate the project that authorizes Governor Yamil Arana to lead the process.
Armando Benedetti, Interior Minister
César Melgarejo / Portfolio
The mayors of the Caribbean municipalities have also joined, who gave a “yesterday” to the 2026 referendum during a summit of the League of Mayors of the Caribbean. The Confederation of Deputies of Colombia (confadicol) has promoted the process as a model of decentralization, and from Congress, figures such as Efraín Cepeda and Jaime Raúl Salamanca have expressed their support.
Committed to the procedure that begins the bill, on behalf of the Government, the Deputy Minister of Interior Jaime Berdugo, expressed the decision to accompany the initiative that will be submitted for consideration of the Congress.
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Even the Interior Minister, Armando Benedetti has declared that “it is not a favor, it is a right that the Constitution recognized”, committing to accompany the legislative procedure and the installation of the COT.
In that same sense, and with a technical look at the implications of the step that the Caribbean region wants to take, Julián Torres, technical director of Decentralization of the National Planning Department, also pronounced.
Congress must approve an organic law.
César Melgarejo/The Time
What is missing for it to be a reality
Although the advances are significant, steps are still missing to consolidate the assiments:
RADICATION AND APPROVAL OF THE ORGANIC LAW: The project must be debated and approved in four legislative sessions in Congress. This law will define powers, functions and scope of the RET Caribe.
Authorization of the Registry: A special ballot for the referendum of March 8, 2026 is expected to be enabled. This vote will be binding and will democratically legitimize the new governance model.
Technical articulation: The Caribbean Rap team works in the articles of the bill, prioritizing issues such as intercultural higher education, royalty management, port infrastructure and climate adaptation.
Political and social unit: Although there is consensus among leaders, citizen mobilization, support of the academy and constant pressure to the national government to avoid bureaucratic delay is required.
Constance Gómez Guasca
Portfolio writing
