LatinNews Daily - 05 May 2023

* Colombia’s congress has provisionally approved the government’s national development plan (PND), following its approval by the lower chamber with 120 votes in favour and 12 against. This came after the senate approved the PND with 72 votes in favour, 24 against, and four abstentions on 3 May. With both chambers having proposed changes to the original PND submitted by President Gustavo Petro, the final version will be agreed upon in a ‘conciliation’ process between the two chambers of congress. Some of the more controversial proposals of the original PND, such as so-called ‘express expropriations’ which would enable the government to expropriate land deemed to be of “public use or social interest”, look likely to be struck down in the conciliation phase.