The Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca (Spanish: Asamblea Departamental del Valle del Cauca) is the department assembly of the Colombian Valle del Cauca Department. The assembly is part of the Colombian legislative branch of government at a Provincial level and its main function is to debate, approve or change the local ordinances.
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History
The history of the Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca has its roots in the creation of the Valle del Cauca Department.
Hostage crisis
As part of the Colombian armed conflict on April 12, 2002 members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) stormed the Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca and kidnapped 12 Deputies of the Valle del Cauca Department to pressure a prisoner exchange between them and the government and to negotiate the demilitarization of the municipalities of Florida and Pradera to initiate peace dialogues.
Functions
The Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca sessions regularly in ordinary sessions during six months in three periods of two months and can be prolonged for up to ten days. Extraordinary sessions can be called up by the Governor of Valle del Cauca to analyze certain projects specifically. The deputies are in charge of analyzing for approval or disapproval of ordinances after three discussion debates that once approved are then sanctioned and signed by the Governor of Valle del Cauca.
Organization
The Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca is headed by the Mesa Directiva (literally "Directorate Table") which is integrated by the President of the Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca, First Vice President, Second Vice President and General Secretary.