Colombia’s Petro asks top court to lift tax decree freeze amid floods

Colombia’s Petro seeks court OK for tax changes to fund flood recovery

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday urged the constitutional court to lift a suspension on an economic emergency decree that would allow the government to raise taxes without congressional approval, as floods in the country’s north continue to affect the recovery effort. Petro made the request during a televised Cabinet meeting, saying the government must raise revenue to pay for reconstruction work in two provinces affected by the flooding.

Petro said the “best thing would be for the suspension (on the emergency decree) to be lifted,” adding that financing reconstruction would be difficult without the decree. The president tied the court challenge to flood impacts in Sucre and Córdoba, describing the need for resources for recovery as the situation in the region remained severe.

In his remarks, Petro said the government needs to raise tens of millions of dollars for recovery efforts in the provinces. Officials have said the floods killed at least 14 people and displaced an estimated 69,000 people, with impacts stretching across rural areas.

Interior Minister Armando Benedetti said that if the court lifted the suspension, “we will have the resources to tend to this crisis,” echoing Petro’s argument that the government requires additional financing to respond effectively to the disaster. Benedetti’s statement positioned the court’s ruling as a key determinant of how quickly the government can mobilize funds for flood victims.

The decree at the center of the legal fight was issued in late December after Colombian courts went on holiday recess. Under that emergency measure, the government sought authority to raise taxes without congressional approval, arguing it faced urgent needs that could not wait for standard legislative processes.

The government’s decree argument included multiple priorities, according to the account in the legal and factual backdrop provided during the reporting. The emergency measure cited needs such as defending the military from drone attacks staged by rebel groups and settling outstanding debts with health insurance companies.

In January, Colombia’s constitutional court suspended the decree, stating that the reasons for applying it were not valid because the situation did not meet the standard of an unexpected emergency. The government is now asking the court to revisit that decision, presenting the flood crisis as a justification for reinstating the decree’s tax-raising authority.

Flooding has continued to disrupt daily life in parts of Córdoba, including in Monteria, the province’s largest city. The reporting said some streets were still flooded Tuesday, with residents using canoes to recover items such as mattresses and furniture from their homes.

A resident of Monteria, Rodolfo Ortega, described the damage, saying: “Many of our things have rotted,” and adding that “The only thing we have been able to recover are our clothes.” His comments underscored the long-term burden on families dealing with water damage and loss of household property.

Colombia’s National Meteorology Institute said the floods were triggered by two cold fronts in the Caribbean bringing unusually strong winds and rain. The institute said some areas in northern Colombia received about a month’s worth of rain within a week, helping explain why flooding escalated quickly and why recovery efforts are still under way.

The court decision comes after Petro’s government last year failed to pass a tax bill that would have raised government revenues by around $4 billion in 2026. In this latest step, Petro is pressing the constitutional court to allow the emergency tax decree to proceed as a funding mechanism tied directly to the flood aftermath.