La Guajira is home to many Wayúu communities, the largest Indigenous community in Colombia. It is also the department with the highest prevalence of food insecurity. “El Niño” weather patterns have been causing droughts and heatwaves, affecting yields of food staples such as rice and corn. Exacerbating the situation is migration from Venezuela and the presence of armed groups, which, according to the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman, creates the potential for massive displacements related to territorial disputes.
President Petro signed a State of Emergency (Decree 1085) on July 2, 2023, giving the Executive Branch broad powers to address the humanitarian crisis. But the Constitutional Court on October 2, 2023, declared the State of Emergency. “inapplicable.” It ruled instead that the court would do an individual analysis of each of the thirteen decrees that were part of the State of Emergency. It is disheartening that the CC has already repealed ten such initiatives, and more rulings are pending.