Consensus or polarization? constituent power versus populism

The Constitution is a political agreement, an expression of the constituent power, oriented towards guaranteeing human rights and limiting power. Constituent power is the embodiment of the People, made of all the members of a political community who, having the same rights, create the Constitution. The Constitution does not erase diversity but instead allows coexistence based on minimum consensus. Hence, both the Constitution and constituent power are incompatible with populism and the violent imposition of one group’s vision over the others. This logic has not been followed throughout Colombia’s history, but the 1991’s Constitution has been the most authentic expression of constituent power to this day. Despite this fact, attempts to manipulate the Constitution using populist strategies have been noticed, seeking to nurture violence and polarization. The Constitutional Court has obtained a leading role in solving political differences in order to solve this tension.