Colombian legislative proposal seeks exceptional presidential powers

A new legislative initiative has been introduced in the Colombian Congress that seeks to grant President De la Espriella exceptional powers for a six-month period. The proposal, filed in the Senate by the Centro Democrático party, would allow the president to eliminate or merge ministries and entities without congressional approval.

Senator Juan Caicedo, the project's main proponent, stated that the goal is to achieve state austerity by reducing operating expenses and payroll. The initiative aims to cut costs equivalent to approximately 2% of the GDP, or roughly 40 trillion pesos.

The proposal has faced criticism from the opposition. Representative Gabriel Becerra of the Pacto Histórico party described the initiative as a “door to dismantle the state by decree” and raised constitutional concerns, questioning the long-term impact of such permanent cuts.