Carlos Meisel initiates referendum to decentralize Colombian state

Senator Carlos Meisel of the Centro Democrático party has officially begun the legal process with the Registraduría to launch a referendum titled “Referendo para Todos” (Referendum for All). The initiative aims to strengthen regional decentralization and reduce the size of the Colombian state.

The proposal is built upon three primary pillars:

1. Fiscal and regulatory autonomy: Granting territories greater competence in decision-making regarding energy policy and the minimum wage. 2. State optimization: Reducing the operational scale of the three branches of power by rationalizing the Congress, the High Courts, and territorial entities. Meisel noted that the country could function more efficiently without the current number of councilors, deputies, and congressmen. 3. Jurisdictional modernization: Consolidating special regimes into a single national jurisdiction.

To proceed, a promoting committee must be formed with the support of 0.5% of the electoral census, approximately 200,000 signatures. Following this, a six-month period for signature collection will require support equivalent to 5% of the census, or roughly 2 million signatures. If successful, the proposal must be approved by Congress and subsequently reviewed by the Constitutional Court.