During the signing of the Territorial Pact for Cauca in Timbío, President Gustavo Petro stated that he is the country's"boss of the mayors." The declaration comes amid a climate of confrontation with local authorities, including mayors and governors."Today, the mayor of Cali sent me his greetings. All the Army's armored vehicles arrived to protect Cali, and he said: 'Thank you, Minister of Defense.' Period. Ha! They don't want Petro. I am the boss of the mayor and the boss of the Army. I am the boss of the mayor, the boss of the Army. Whiteys who don't want Petro," were President Petro's words.
The statements came in response to a message published by the mayor of Cali, Alejandro Eder, on his X account. There, the local leader thanked Minister Pedro Sánchez for the arrival of the Hunter TR-12 armored vehicles to the capital of Valle del Cauca to strengthen security, following the August 21 attack near the Marco Fidel Suárez air base.
Following these statements by the head of state, the Colombian Federation of Municipalities issued a statement:"According to the 1991 Constitution, mayors are the highest political and administrative authority within their territories and, therefore, have no hierarchical superior. This is intended to resolve the controversy sparked by statements by the President of the Republic, in which he states that 'he is the mayor's boss,' referring to the mayor of Cali, Alejandro Eder," they begin their statement.
And they added:" It is worth remembering that one of the most significant advances of the Magna Carta was precisely breaking the hierarchical relationship that previously existed between the president, governors, and mayors, establishing the principle of territorial autonomy. In this sense, the President of the Republic is not the boss of the governors or mayors."
They also rely on the jurisprudence of both the Constitutional Court and the Council of State, which they assert has been clear and consistent on this matter."An example of this is the decision of the Council of State (Fifth Section, April 26, 2018), which indicated that a mayor's decisions are not subject to appeal because there is no immediate superior," the statement reads.
From Fedemunicipios they added: “ Similarly, the Constitutional Court, in ruling C-643 of 1999, specified that the restitution of public goods in the municipal sphere is the exclusive responsibility of the mayor and that no governor can revoke these decisions.”
And they conclude by saying: “ The Colombian Federation of Municipalities reaffirms that respect for territorial autonomy is a fundamental principle of our constitutional order and an indispensable condition to guarantee local governance and the strengthening of democracy in Colombia, in accordance with decisions at the national level.”
