Seventeen Colombian governors, led by those of Antioquia and Valle del Cauca, have chosen to disobey a decree from Gustavo Petro's government that alters the liquor tax structure. They argue the decree causes irreparable damage to departmental funding for health and education. This action is backed by the Constitution for instances of poor government administration.
Columnist Gustavo Álvarez Gardeazábal, in his article published on January 22, 2026, portrays how President Gustavo Petro's administration is 'disbinding' Colombia through decisions that dismantle key national structures. The text highlights the government's administrative incapacity, prioritizing past political vendettas over effective governance.
A prime example is the dismantling of Health Promoting Entities (EPS), which the author says the government hates due to ideology or whim. He critiques a failed economic theory linked to the president, likening it to a domino effect that would collapse the health system by toppling one piece, sarcastically suggesting it deserves the Nobel Prize in Economics under the term 'chuchuchu'.
Another issue is the decree on liquors, described as vices or provocations, which have historically pivoted departmental funding for public health and education. This aggressive decree, copied from a congressional bill that was rejected, has caused the collapse of that fragile structure.
In response, 17 governors, led by those of Antioquia and Valle, have clung to the Constitution and chosen to disobey the decree until the Court rules on its illegality. Álvarez Gardeazábal views this as a justified rebellion, invoking the constitutional escape valve for times of poor governance, marking the 'disbinding' at its highest degree.
