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Colombia might default on payment of external financial obligation, official says

Colombia is at threat of stopping working to fulfill its foreign debt repayments since a special congressional committee has not reached a quorum, avoiding it from carrying out a specific procedure that is needed to make payments, the director of public credit said on Tuesday.

In addition to the threat of defaulting on payments, it is likewise decreasing the dispensation of credits from multilateral lending institutions like German state bank KfW, Jose Roberto Acosta told reporters.

The committee should fulfill to authorize or reject bond issues, along with contracting external loans. Though the government can disregard the decision, operations to pay debt remain stuck up until the committee convenes.

The requirement to permit the government to release bonds abroad and sign contracts with multilateral loans that are needed to continue honoring the payment of credits and debt service has been taken into consideration, Acosta stated.

Given that there have been 6 conferences without quorum, Colombia is at high risk of defaulting, he said.

(source: Reuters)