Colombian Constitutional Court blocks Venezuela peace memorandum

The Colombian Constitutional Court ordered that the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Venezuela on July 17, 2025, establishing a Binational Peace, Union and Development Zone, be referred to President Gustavo Petro for processing in accordance with constitutional treaty procedures. The action followed a public unconstitutionality lawsuit filed by Tolima law student David Jacobo Gómez Zamora and citizen Alejandro Quintero Navarro, who argued that the document, despite being labeled a memorandum, functions as an international treaty and therefore requires congressional approval and automatic constitutional review. The Court’s plenary decision suspended the memorandum’s legal effects until the constitutional requirements—approval by the Congress and subsequent review by the Court—are fulfilled, citing violations of Articles 150(16), 189(2) and 241(10) of the Colombian Constitution.