President Gustavo Petro of Colombia is set to make a presentation before the Constitutional Court detailing the reasons the government declared a state of economic, social and ecological emergency in the department of La Guajira. The emergency declaration covers a period of 30 days and is meant to address the chronic lack of vital basic services such as drinking water, food security, and energy infrastructure in the area.
Under the state of emergency, exceptional actions are being taken to guarantee food security and sovereignty, as well as measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change in the area. The hearing is expected to discuss topics related to the diagnosis of the situation in La Guajira, the scope and consequences of climate change, and democratic implications of states of emergency in the context of global warming.
Representatives of public entities, members of civil society and experts on climate change are also taking part in the hearing. President Petro is set to explain the basis for the government’s declarations through 11 decrees and preview how the emergency plans will seek to improve access to food and land titles for the citizens of La Guajira. “It is absolutely pertinent to decree the Economic and Social Emergency”, said Petro in Riohacha, the capital of the department on June 29.
President Petro is committed to taking the necessary steps to help those in La Guajira in need of help, an area that has been greatly affected by climate change, drought, and land scarcity. As this case is heard before the court, the country awaits the successful implementation of these emergency programs, hoping they will be able to stimulate higher quality of life standards for the La Guajira citizens.
With information from Presidency of the Republic