Procedural flaw threatens Colombia's 2027 budget

The 2027 budget bill approved by ​the Colombian Congress on Tuesday ​could be scrapped due ‌to ​a procedural flaw linked to a discrepancy in the text, lawmakers said. If next year's 634.9 trillion pesos ($201 billion) ‌of spending distributions were to be rejected, it would force the government of new right-wing President Abelardo De La Espriella to set the budget by decree.

• The ‌House of Representatives approved one article with wording different from the version ‌passed earlier by the Senate, without conciliation between the two chambers, a flaw that according to some legislators and legal experts invalidates the process • Senate Secretary General, Diego Alejandro Gonzalez, said in ⁠a ​statement that article ⁠65 was approved without amendments in the Senate but "that article was approved with an amendment incorporated," ⁠by Congress

• Senate passed the bill on Monday night with 57 votes in favor ​and one against, while the lower house approved it early Tuesday with ⁠112 in favor and one against • The approved budget exceeds the current 2026 budget of 555.8 ⁠trillion ​pesos, projects a fiscal deficit of 9.4% of GDP and reallocates resources across sectors

• Reuters could not immediately get a comment from ⁠the Finance Ministry or the government • Senator Juan Caicedo of the right-wing Centro Democratico party ⁠said on ⁠X that, due to the error, the government's original bill will take effect, including modifications approved in the first debate