Deputies of the Congress of the Republic in a session this Thursday, July 11, rejected the state of calamity requested by President Bernardo Arévalo in response to emergencies caused by the rainy season.
After four and a half hours of discussion, with 95 votes in favor, legislators approved the motion to disapprove the state of calamity in a single debate.
The non-approval of the provision decreed by the Executive was celebrated by the deputies belonging to the Vamos bench.
The motion to reject the motion was voted down by 95 votes in favour and 38 once morest. 27 legislators were absent from the session.
The State of Calamity was declared on July 8 by the government of President Bernardo Arévalo de León, to address the emergencies caused by the rains of the 2024 season.
Last Monday, the Government of Guatemala declared its dispositions to address the emergency caused by the rainy season; however, this was left to the Legislative Branch, which ultimately rejected it, so this measure will also be published in the Official Gazette.
The legislation was published in the Central American newspaper by decision of the government headed by Arévalo, but had to be ratified by Congress, where the official party, Movimiento Semilla, does not have a majority.
The measure, according to the decree, was agreed upon by the Council of Ministers of the Government of Arévalo for a period of 30 days throughout the territory and limited some constitutional rights such as free movement in affected areas; in addition, it facilitated the use of economic funds to deal with the emergency.
The decision to request a “state of calamity” by the Government is based on an analysis carried out by state entities on the impact of the rainy season on the population, according to the President’s administration itself.
In the decree, the Presidency authorized the Ministries of Communications, Agriculture and Public Health, as well as the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction, to acquire the goods and supplies necessary to deal with emergencies related to the rainfall.
The rainy season in Guatemala runs from May to October and has so far left 17 dead in 2024.
For further reading: Among trees: images show how rescuers arrived at the point where the missing plane was located
The rains have also damaged the main highway leading south of the territory, the route to the Pacific, causing setbacks on commercial and tourist routes.
Deputies reject the State of Calamity requested by the president @BArevalodeLeon in the face of emergencies generated by the rainy season. Here’s how the vote went:@Guatevision_tv @free Press pic.twitter.com/xaKOrqENRg
— Leslie Sanchez (@lsanchez_gtv) July 11, 2024
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