Bogotá, Colombia – Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced February 6, 2026, that he will declare a new economic, social, and ecological emergency in response to the effects of a severe climate crisis impacting several regions of the country. The move has reignited political debate over the use of states of exception in public administration.
Petro formally petitioned the Constitutional Court to lift the suspension of a decree of economic emergency that his government issued in December 2025. He argued that the current climate situation represents an unforeseen event requiring urgent executive action.
‘There was a risk of hunger in Córdoba and Sucre’
According to disaster relief authorities, a cold front and phenomena associated with the climate crisis have affected more than 52,000 families and left over 35,000 hectares flooded in departments like Córdoba, Antioquia, and southern Bolívar, severely impacting housing and livelihoods.
“There are 14 dead, nine thousand homes destroyed, almost 50,000 families affected, 35,000 hectares flooded, 300,000 people affected. As the FAO said, there was a risk of hunger in Córdoba and Sucre due to the climate crisis, and that unpredictable climate crisis has manifested itself today,” the President stated on his official X account.
Petro emphasized that these climatic events have manifested in an unpredictable and extraordinary manner, linking the damage to phenomena he described as consequences of climate change and the management of infrastructure such as reservoirs.
Flooding in Córdoba has affected ranchers. The pasture now lies under water. Photo:Felipe Caicedo
The President also questioned decisions regarding hydraulic planning and urged that the emergency declaration allow for the allocation of resources he deems essential for mitigating these effects.
“We are facing a situation that was unforeseen and that we explicitly described in the emergency decree that the Court suspended,” Petro said, adding that this declaration is not merely economic but a necessary response to large-scale environmental disasters.
The Government Decree Temporarily Overturned by the Constitutional Court
The President’s petition comes amid the legal and political dispute surrounding the emergency measures decreed by his government in recent months.
In December 2025, the Executive issued Decree 1390, declaring a State of Economic, Social, and Ecological Emergency for 30 days to address a fiscal deficit that, according to the government, amounted to 16.3 trillion pesos following Congress’s rejection of a key tax reform to finance the 2026 budget.
This declaration empowered the Executive to issue decrees with the force of law, potentially including new taxes and budgetary adjustments. However, the Constitutional Court temporarily suspended the decree, citing doubts as to whether the described conditions constituted unforeseen events justifying an economic emergency. This suspension drew criticism from Petro and the ruling coalition, who accused the highest court of obstructing the government’s ability to protect fundamental rights and address social emergencies.
Flooding in Manzanillo, north of Cartagena Photo:Archivo particular
The proposal for a new emergency once again places the role of the Executive branch in exceptional situations at the center of debate, especially when economic, fiscal, and environmental factors are intertwined. Sectors of the opposition have questioned the constitutionality of these practices, arguing that seeking resources through decrees with the force of law bypasses congressional oversight and could set a precedent for future administrations.
Meanwhile, humanitarian organizations and local authorities have called for accelerating assistance to areas affected by flooding, noting that the magnitude of the damage requires coordinated plans with national and international support to restore housing, provide direct financial aid, and rehabilitate critical infrastructure.
FELIPE SANTANILLA AYALA
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