The Constitutional Court (CC) gave Congress 48 hours to explain why it ignored the presidential veto of Decree 7-2025, after admitting an injunction promoted by pro-government deputies seeking to stop the entry into force of the Law on Financial Strengthening and Continuity of Urban and Rural Development Council Projects.
The legal action was presented after the Legislature ignored President Bernardo Arévalo’s veto and ordered the immediate publication of the decree, which, according to the amparistas, contravenes the procedure established in the Constitution.
The resolution of the CC states: “The amparo is admitted for processing in a single instance (…) To resolve whether or not the provisional amparo is appropriate, the reported authority must send the background of the case or, failing that, a detailed report, within the peremptory period of forty-eight hours.”
The ruling party maintains that the presidential veto is valid and that it was issued in accordance with the constitutional procedure, so it is up to the CC to determine its legality.
José Carlos Sanabria, deputy of Semilla, stated last Thursday that Congress’s decision “is hasty, unconstitutional and breaks the democratic order,” and that “ignoring a perfectly valid veto puts the legality of public spending at risk.”
As explained, the amparo seeks for the Court to suspend the publication of the legislative agreement and to instruct Congress to resume the procedure in accordance with the Constitution. “Avoiding precedents like this is key so that institutional control over public spending is not weakened,” he pointed out.
The law in question would allow the Codedes to keep unexecuted funds during the fiscal year, instead of returning them to the treasury. This point has been questioned by social sectors, which warn about the risk of discretion in the use of public resources.
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