Maria Fernanda Caballe’s confrontation with climate activists in Congress

The Senate plenary has already begun its sessions, and on Tuesday, July 26, the Escazu Agreement, one of the outstanding issues left by the last Congress, was discussed.

However, before this discussion began, there was a strong confrontation between Senator Maria Fernanda Caballe and several climate activists who are promoting the ratification of the said agreement.

It all happened at the entrance to the headquarters, where the plenum of the Senate is being held. for several minutes The Representative confronted those leaders and Senator Wilson Arias, who blamed the Democratic Center for interfering with approval of that initiative.

In Kabal’s opinion, “Environmental activists, who have been exploited by the international left, ignore the danger of Escazu. This agreement is part of a global agenda to stop development, impoverish Colombians and deceive unsuspecting young people.”The deputy said.

In the discussion between Cabal and Arias, positions on the Escazu Agreement were determined. “You can’t be on the side of a cow or on the side of a human being”, the senator told a member of the Democratic Center. For this reason, the legislator asked for respect and noted that those who support this initiative are ignoring the risks that Colombia may have.

Although the dialogue between members of Congress had a strong tone, the two entered the plenary and while discussing the project, positions were once again determined.

What is the Escazu Agreement?

The Escazu Convention proposes to improve citizen participation in preserving the environment and protecting the rights of its leadersBut the benefits of this initiative are not real for some sectors.

“In initiatives like Escazú, in which we surrender our sovereignty to environmental courts and international tribunals, we will oppose the intent to create what I have called “JEP Agraria,” which would force the creation of more bureaucratic positions and jeopardize property rights and legal certainty,” Cabal said. .

In fact, the Democratic Center reiterated its position on the Escazu Agreement and announced that it would vote against this initiative. “After a thorough legal and political study of the agreement, our office found that Escazu meant the loss of Colombia’s sovereignty, since it is an agreement that presupposes the supremacy of international law over internal order.”

They added that “Progress in the field of environmental rights, it is worth saying, has a tremendous development in the constitutional, legal and jurisprudence system of Colombia, unlike other countries in the region; there are many cases that prove this. Therefore, in order to protect the environment, the participation of communities and the safety of social leaders, the state does not have to expose itself to an agreement like Escazú, which generates legal uncertainty, regulatory duplication and puts everyone at risk. Producers, regardless of size, social status and/or activity.”

The process in the Republican Congress still needs three more debates to ratify, but several senators were pleased with the first step in this direction taken in April of last year. The issue remains thorny, because Ivan Duque, regardless of the pressure of the international community, left this task in the background.

The Charter’s historic obligation, as the House of Majority, is to approve this initiative in the Senate and House of Representatives.