Colombia’s Constitutional Court agreed to revise the legality of a deal between Bogota and Caracas that seeks to stimulate the legal economy on the border with Venezuela.
An anonymous plaintiff challenged the agreement to create a “special binational economic zone” in the Norte de Santander province and the Venezuelan states of Tachira and Zulia.
According to the plaintiff, the memorandum of understanding between the administrations of Gustavo Petro and Nicolas Maduro has the characteristics of a bilateral agreement.
Unlike a memorandum of understanding, a legally binding bilateral agreement can only take force after the approval of the Congress and the Constitutional Court.
The plaintiff asked the court to suspend programs that may be derived from the deal with Venezuela while verifying its legality.
The development of a so-called “Peace, Union and Development Zone” on both side of the border seeks to “promote productive diversification, generate added value, and foster inclusive and sustainable economic development” in the historically neglected border region.
Petro has long advocated for regional integration, particularly in border regions where State neglect allowed the emergence of economies that drive of contraband and drug trafficking.
The economy in Norte de Santander collapsed in 2019 after a failed attempt by US President Donald Trump, former President Ivan Duque and Venezuela’s opposition to overthrow Maduro, who subsequently closed the border.
According to the current administration, guerrilla and organized crime groups took advantage of the poverty and lack of international cooperation to boost illegal economic activity in both Venezuela and Colombia.
Petro has made it a priority to reestablish diplomatic tie with Venezuela immediately after taking office in 2022 and has been trying to promote economic integration, most recently with the binational development zone.
The initiative has been opposed by the opposition, which claimed that the deal with Venezuela cedes sovereignty to a foreign government.
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