Legal disputes emerge in Colombia and Panama over government decrees and police authority

In Colombia, Miguel Puerto Cristancho, a councilman from Mongua, has filed a lawsuit with the Council of State against Decree 662 of 2026. The decree establishes provisions for a Universal Income Registry. Cristancho argues that the automated cross-referencing of financial and tax data could unfairly impact rural populations, such as farmers and small-scale miners, whose occasional financial movements may not accurately reflect their economic capacity. He seeks a provisional suspension of the decree to prevent potential negative effects on social program access and the right to a minimum subsistence.

In Panama, Attorney General Luis Carlos Manuel Gómez Rudy has requested that the Supreme Court declare a municipal agreement unconstitutional. The agreement in question organized the Municipal Police Department for the Panama City Mayor's Office. The Attorney General's position is that the Municipal Council exceeded its authority, as the Constitution mandates that the organization of police services must be established by the National Assembly through law. The prosecution argues that the municipal structure functions as a security force with powers to detain and search individuals, which falls outside the scope of municipal administrative oversight.