Colombia’s Constitutional Court Overtturns Law Creating Ministry of Equality, Sparking Controversy over Bureaucracy and Funding

The Constitutional Court of Colombia has overturned a law creating the Ministry of Equality, led by Vice President France Marquez. This was due to procedural defects in Congress. Despite this decision, the Ministry will continue to exist until 2026 as the court deferred its decision for two legislative terms.

Senator Paloma Valencia of the Uribista party filed a lawsuit challenging the Ministry, stating that it was “pure bureaucracy.” Valencia pointed out that the Ministry had a budget of 1.3 trillion pesos, with a significant portion allocated to positions rather than investments benefiting Colombians. The court emphasized that there was no fiscal impact analysis during the creation process of the new portfolio.

The Ministry of Equality was officially approved by Congress in December 2022 and established to address the needs of 14 towns and various marginalized populations in Colombia. Despite its noble intentions, the Ministry has faced criticism for executing less than 1% of its budget this year. The ministry is divided into five vice-ministries focusing on different segments of the population, including women, youth, territories, excluded populations, diversities, people with disabilities and ethnic peoples.