President Gustavo Petro backed the decision by the Promoting Committee to withdraw the project for a National Constituent Assembly on Thursday [1].
This shift signals a strategic pivot in the administration's approach to structural change. By pausing the push for a new constitution, the government is shifting its focus toward immediate social reforms and the upcoming electoral cycle.
The Promoting Committee announced it would not only withdraw the project but also suspend the collection of signatures required to move the process forward [1]. Petro said via his X account that the current priority is to establish a national agreement regarding the social reforms the public needs [2].
Petro said that if the country reaches this agreement, it will build peace and progress for all citizens. He said that the "flag of Life and of a sovereign and free Colombia" is now the primary focus [2].
The decision comes amid a complex political landscape where the administration has previously fluctuated on the timing of the assembly. While some previous reports indicated plans to convene the assembly in May, the current decision on June 4 [1] marks a formal retreat from that timeline.
Petro also noted the importance of the democratic process regarding the transition of power. He said the priority for the people, as the constituent power, is to define their next government [1].
By stepping back from the constitutional rewrite, the administration avoids a potentially protracted legal and political battle over the assembly's legitimacy. Instead, the focus remains on legislative wins, and the defense of national sovereignty [1, 2].
“The priority of the constituent, the people, is to define their next government.”
The withdrawal of the Constituent Assembly project suggests that the Petro administration is prioritizing political stability and legislative viability over a total constitutional overhaul. By focusing on a 'national agreement' and the next government's definition, the presidency is likely attempting to consolidate social reforms through existing legal channels rather than risking the political volatility associated with drafting a new constitution.
