Legislative participation and quorum issues reported in Costa Rica and Colombia

In Costa Rica, legislative records show low participation rates among deputies during the voting for the “Jornadas 4-3” project. Deputy Claudia Dobles of the Agenda Ciudadana Coalition recorded the highest level of non-participation, voting in only 39.50% of the more than 4,000 motions. Deputy Salvador Padilla of the National Liberation Party participated in 45.65% of votes; he defended his record by stating that legislative work extends beyond plenary sessions to include community engagement and territorial presence.

In Colombia, the Bogotá City Council was unable to proceed with a debate on a major tax reform due to a lack of quorum. A nominal vote revealed only 22 council members were present, one short of the 23 required to make legal decisions. Councilman Jairo Avellaneda criticized the absenteeism, suggesting it may have been a strategy to avoid discussing new charges, and questioned the absence of officials tasked with defending the administration's economic initiatives.