Chamber of Representatives of Colombia facts for kids

The House of Representatives (in Spanish, Cámara de Representantes) is one of the two main groups that make up the Congress of Colombia. Think of it like a team of elected people who work together to make laws for the country. It is often called the "lower house" because it works alongside another group, the Senate, which is sometimes called the "upper house."

Currently, the House of Representatives has 172 members. These members are called "representatives." They are chosen by the people of Colombia in elections and serve for four years. Their main job is to represent the different parts of the country and help create new laws or change old ones.

What the House of Representatives Does

The House of Representatives plays a very important role in how Colombia is governed. Its main jobs include:

• Making Laws: Representatives discuss and vote on new laws that affect everyone in Colombia. These laws can be about anything from education and healthcare to taxes and the environment.
• Controlling the Government: The House helps to keep an eye on the President and other government officials. They can ask questions, investigate actions, and make sure everything is being done correctly.
• Approving Budgets: They also review and approve the country's budget, which is a plan for how the government will spend money each year.
• Representing the People: Each representative is elected from a specific area or group of people. This means they bring the ideas and concerns of their communities to the national government.

How Members Are Chosen

Members of the House of Representatives are elected in different ways to make sure many voices are heard:

• Territorial Constituencies: Most representatives are chosen from different parts of Colombia, like states or regions. Each region gets a certain number of representatives based on its population.
• Special Constituencies: Some representatives are chosen to represent specific groups of people. For example, there are special seats for Indigenous communities and for Afro-Colombian communities. This helps make sure these groups have a voice in the government.
• International Constituency: There are also representatives chosen by Colombians who live outside the country. This allows Colombians living abroad to still have a say in their home country's government.

All representatives serve a term of four years. After their term ends, new elections are held, and they can choose to run again.