According to the president, the essential principle of the State to protect the lives of its citizens is above any legal criterion.

The president’s statement refers to the court’s decision, which declared unconstitutional (or contrary to the Constitution) Legislative Decree 0131 of February 5th, 2025, which allocated resources from the General Royalties System (SGR) to facilitate investment projects and guarantee economic development in Catatumbo, the metropolitan area of ​​Cúcuta, and the municipalities of Río de Oro and González (Cesar).

The SGR is a mechanism that seeks to guarantee the equitable distribution and efficient use of income from the exploitation of non-renewable natural resources.

Despite the ruling, the president assured that the Catatumbo Plan will continue. “Its sources of funding will be whatever they allow us. They won’t be the best, but human life is prioritized. On two occasions, the Constitutional Court overturned taxes that go to oil companies; the attempt to save the profits of oil and coal companies is harmless; they will fall due to the drop in the price of coal and oil,” he remarked on X.

According to a statement from the Presidency, the Catatumbo Plan was designed to guarantee legal security for farmers in the area through land formalization, the eradication of illicit crops, and the implementation of a peace process.

The Catatumbo region, in the northeast of the country, has been shaken by violence since January 16, due to clashes between the armed groups of the National Liberation Army and the 33rd Front.

As a result of the situation, nearly 65,000 persons were forced to flee their homes, while approximately 117 deaths have been reported, according to data from the Ombudsman’s Office.

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