The Constitutional Court suspended President Gustavo Petro's economic emergency decree from December 2025, an unprecedented move halting measures like a tax reform by decree. Huila representatives in Congress voiced divided opinions on the fiscal, legal, and political ramifications of this ruling. Some hail it as a check on an unconstitutional 'decree blitz,' while others decry the constraints on tackling the economic crisis.
Colombia's Constitutional Court made a historic ruling by suspending, with six votes against two, the economic emergency decree issued by President Gustavo Petro in December 2025. The Full Chamber deemed it 'manifestly unconstitutional,' halting its effects until the final judgment, expected in coming weeks. This invalidates related decrees, including a tax reform by decree aiming to raise over 11 trillion pesos after Congress rejected a similar bill, and an extraordinary levy on energy generators to support state-intervened marketers.
Prior to the vote, Petro criticized rapporteur Magistrate Carlos Camargo and warned of a potential fiscal crisis, reiterating his view on social media. The process overlaps with the campaign for 2026 legislative and presidential elections.
Huila representatives in Congress provided varied viewpoints. Esperanza Andrade welcomed the halt: 'Very good that the Court stopped the 'decree blitz'... presidential power is not unlimited. Colombia is a rule-of-law state.' Carlos Julio González stressed austerity: 'The government should focus on real spending austerity... this decision sets a precedent.' Flora Perdomo saw a 'showdown' between branches: 'It's a showdown where all Colombians are in the middle... there's a dilemma between legal aspects and economic realities'.
Luz Pastrana endorsed the ruling: 'The message is that the Constitution must be respected... Colombia needs dialogue and construction.' Leyla Rincón challenged it: 'It's a decision we respect but do not share... it sets a delicate precedent.' Julio César Triana supported it: 'There was no real emergency here... the response cannot be confrontation'.
These reactions underscore tensions between the executive and other branches amid acknowledged structural fiscal challenges.
