Colombia’s Constitutional Court has rejected an extension of a state of emergency, disallowing the government to use special funds for victims of last years floods
According to the Court, the January 6 extension of the initial one-month state of emergency was not sufficiently explained by the government.
As a result, several emergency funds the government created to help victims and rebuild parts of the country that were destroyed by landslides and floods can no longer be used.
The government is now no longer allowed to subsidize energy billsf for flood victims or to use an emergency fund to reforest destroyed areas and rebuild schools.
The Court follows the advice of the country’s Inspector General, who earlier this month claimed the government had overstepped its authority.
The government had issues the state of emergency decree after last year’s excessive rains devestated large parts of the country and affected more than 2 million Colombians.