The announcement by the National Government to file a bill to convene a National Constituent Assembly generated reactions in different economic sectors. Among them, the construction expressed concern about the possible effects on institutional stability and investment. Union spokesmen and businessmen in the sector stated that they do not consider it advisable to promote a process of this type in the current context, and warned that The discussion introduces new elements of uncertainty in the midst of a challenging economic outlook.
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The project, which will be presented this Thursday, October 23, was announced by the Minister of Justice, Eduardo Montealegre, and includes an article with eleven articles, questions for the eventual referendum and a point that has sparked debate: the granting of extraordinary powers to the President of the Republic for six months.
According to the text, these powers would allow the president “issue regulations with the material force of law” to define the requirements of the delegates, the groups that would participate in the election and the internal democratic mechanisms that each one will implement.
The draft establishes that the Constituent Assembly will completely reform the Political Constitution, without revoking Congress, and that its limits will be international commitments on human rights, respect for the principle of non-regression in social rights and the norms of Ius Cogens. The document justifies the call on the existence of an “institutional blockage” that would have prevented the formulation of effective public policies to address social problems and guarantee fundamental rights.
The proposal has been interpreted as a new axis of debate in a political scenario marked by the proximity of the elections and the discussion about the direction of the Government. In that context, The builders consulted agreed that the priority should be to consolidate economic stabilityadvance the execution of housing programs and maintain the confidence of investors.
‘This is not the time for a Constituent Assembly’
The president of the Colombian Chamber of Construction (Camacol), Guillermo Herrera, maintained that the country is not in a position to open a discussion of that scope. “I believe that the important thing here is to respect and continue supporting the Constitution of the year ninety-one. This is not the time for constituents, there is not the space,” he stated.
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This project has generated conflicting positions among the branches of public power.
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Herrera added that the Government “He should dedicate himself to working and not cover his management with discussions that take us out of the orbit of what we really have to be doing, which is solving the problems that the Government itself has created.”
Asked about the political and economic implications of the announcement, the union leader expressed that “It can be interpreted as irresponsible, precisely when what is sought seems to be to hide the results of the Government’s mismanagement.” In his opinion, the project would not have a high probability of success, since he considers that the country “He wants to work and not open discussions where they are not needed.”
Herrera also referred to the political moment and the deadlines of the current Government. “There is no political opportunity or time. I really believe that this is opening a discussion in which we should not waste ourselves,” he pointed out.
Businessmen call to avoid uncertainty
Other representatives of the construction sector agreed that the proposal generates uncertainty in the markets and distracts attention from productive priorities. A businessman in the sector, who asked not to reveal his name, stated that the Government “It has been generating a lot of uncertainty and it is always there to stay in the debate, it makes everyone generate uncertainty, because that uncertainty generates fear and that fear makes us all talk.”
In his opinion, the announcement of the Constituent Assembly “It’s one more way to get everyone talking about them, to get them down and victimize themselves”. According to the builder, businessmen should not get involved in that dynamic. “We businessmen should not play that game, we have to play the game of building a country, continuing to generate work and progress for our most vulnerable populations,” he explained.
The businessman insisted that the sector must concentrate on its productive activity. “We have to forget about that conversation and dedicate ourselves to what we do. We must all align ourselves in stopping playing those constitutional or institutional games and think about working together for a democracy. Here we are all going to work as Colombians who for so many years were united and now we are polarized. We have to unite again and work as a country,” said.
Another builder, who also preferred to keep his identity confidential, reiterated the need to preserve the current Constitution. “The important thing is to respect and continue supporting the Constitution of the year ninety-one. This is not the time for constituents, there is no space. The Government has to dedicate itself to working and not cover its management with discussions that take us away from what we really have to be doing,” he stated.
The businessman added that the proposal “can be interpreted as irresponsible” and considered that he seeks “hide the results of the management, as happened with housing.” He also estimated that the initiative has no chance of succeeding due to the current government’s lack of political time. “It has no political opportunity, it does not have the time, and it is opening a discussion in which we should not waste ourselves,” he concluded.
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This project has generated conflicting positions among the branches of public power.
Image from ChatGPT
Economic impacts and market confidence
The executive director of Fedesarrollo, Luis Fernando Mejía, indicated that the discussion on the Constituent Assembly introduces a new factor of economic uncertainty. “What is required is stability in the rules of the game, clear signals so that investment can return. Fortunately we believe that the announcement will not have real consequences because the times are not right, but the mere discussion opens an additional door of uncertainty that is not convenient for the Colombian economy,” he pointed out.
Mejía explained that the financial market does not foresee an immediate impact on the indicators, although the country risk could be marginally affected. “When the calculations are made of the times involved – collection of signatures, approval by Congress -, surely Congress is not thinking about this but rather about his re-election next year. The market internalizes this more as a political campaign announcement and not as something that can materialize. In that sense, there should not be a large implication from the point of view of economic figures,” Indian.
The economist also referred to the implications of the fiscal context for the construction sector. He pointed out that “The fiscal situation that the next government will receive will probably be the worst in modern history” and that, therefore, “Room to improve resource allocation will be limited.”
PAULA GALEANO BALAGUERA
Portfolio Journalist
