Finally and after almost a week of uncertainty and debates about the roads that the government could take to address the social crisis in the Catatumbo, for the conflicts between the ELN and the dissidents of the FARC, from the Casa de Nariño The decree that declares the state of internal shock in this region was announced.
This is a decision that was based on the powers given by the 1991 Constitution to the President of the Republic, to attend emergencies, either due to natural disasters, security crisis or economic recession, among other causes, either in a specific territory or throughout the national geography.
Catatumbo.
AFP
The last antecedent of an internal shock declaration was in the second government of Álvaro Uribe Vélez, in 2008, for a prolong Upon coming to power in 2002, in the most violent period of the Colombian internal armed conflict.
Where does it apply?
The first thing to say in this regard is that the regulations make clear its application and discard the rumors of those sectors that denounced that the state of exception would be imposed throughout the national territory, saying that it will be for the term of ninety (90) days counted from the entry into force of this decree, in the Catatumbo region, located in the northeast of the department of Norte de Santander.
“Which is made up of the municipalities of Ocaña, Abrego, El Carmen, Convention, Theorama, San. Calixto, Hazarí, the Beach, the Tarra, Tibú and Sardinata, and the indigenous territories of the Motilón Barí and Catalaura guidelines! Gabarra, as well as in the metropolitan area of Cúcuta, which includes the municipality of Cúcuta, departmental capital and core of the area, and the municipalities of Villa del Rosario, Los Patios, El Zulia, San Cayetano and Puerto Santander and the municipalities of Rio de Río de Río de Río Gold and González of the Department of Cesar, ”says the document.
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In this way, the alerts of certain sectors that expressed at the time that said declaration would be an excuse to alter the natural order of the powers in Colombia, through its application throughout the national territory, are left behind. Likewise, it was ruled out that it is accompanied by an economic emergency decree.
What does this measure imply?
As read in Decree 0062 of this January 24, 2025, in which interior commotion is declared, the measure responds to the magnitude of the challenge derived from the restoration of public order in the Catatumbo region and that it is necessary to request the cooperation of International organizations and allied governments, for the financing of humanitarian and stabilization programs, which implies carrying out the corresponding budget adjustments.
Similarly, seek to counteract the serious public order crisis derived from the presence of illegal armed groups such as the ELN, the GAO, the ‘Pelusos’ and the Gulf clan, responsible for activities criminals in these strategic areas and that for weeks have hit the region.
Conflict in Catatumbo
AFP
“It is necessary to adopt extraordinary measures in contractual matters in order to expedite the execution of the resources required to guarantee institutional stability, state security and citizen coexistence in the Catatumbo region and in the metropolitan area of Cúcuta,” says the decree.
How will it be financed?
Finally, it must be said that after the statement of the state of shock Interior in the Catatumbo Region, in the Metropolitan Area of Cúcut disturbance and prevent the extension of its effects. “
Taking into account that a silver that was not projected will be needed, the Minister of Finance, Diego Guevara, confirmed to Portafolio that several measures will be taken to generate the resources, among which the VAT stands out to the games of luck and chance online, An initiative that sank in the Legislative in 2024, since it was part of the financing bill.
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In addition to this, Minister Guevara said to this medium, that the possibility of making budgetary transfers to prioritize attention is also being contemplated, however, it was emphatic that there are still no concrete measures, but that it is analyzed How to move the resources -which are insufficient -, to be able to address the humanitarian emergency.
The Chief of the Economic Portfolio clarified that the measures taken to face the Catatumbo crisis will be temporary and are not intended to replace the legislative or implement long -term structural changes, given that they seek to respond to the national situation with immediate solutions, maintaining the framework institutional and respecting the current legislative processes.
Conflict in Catatumbo
AFP
He also pointed out that the resources of the General Royalties System could be used To meet the situation in the Catatumbo, although he stressed that this proposal will generate important debates and that the discussion on how to prioritize these funds will be crucial to balance local needs with the regulatory framework that regulates its use.
Finally, Guevara said that a priority will be given to social spending at this juncture and gave as an example the increase in chance games, which could raise $ 600,000 million within 90 to 180 days. However, he emphasized that the Organic Law of the Budget limits the redistribution of resources between sectors in the same validity, so it will be necessary to carefully prioritize social spending.
After this declaration of internal shock, the next step of the national government will be the issuance of the other decrees that will regulate said decision, in a process very similar to that of the Declaration of Economic and Social Emergency in La Guajira, at the beginning of last year.
