Faced with traditional political parties opposing several of his bills, Colombian President Gustavo Petro replaced seven ministers of his coalition government on Wednesday.
“Today is building a new cabinet that will help consolidate the government’s program,” announced an official statement from the Head of State at the start of the afternoon.
Mr. Petro notably replaced the Ministers of the Interior, Finance, Agriculture and Health. The four holders of these portfolios are now respectively Ricardo Bonilla, Jhenifer Mojica, Luis Fernando Velasco and Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo.
All have the profiles of technocrats and academics rather than politicians. They are relatives or former collaborators of President Petro.
His left-wing program, on which he was elected in the summer of 2022, provided “a roadmap to bring about the change in favor of which millions of Colombians and Colombians voted”, the statement said.
Despite “a commitment to dialogue”, with a government coalition open to the center and the moderate right, this “pact has been rejected by some traditional and establishment politicians”, justifies Mr. Petro in the document, reaffirming his objective of a “social change agenda”, while promoting “major national agreements”.
A few hours earlier, the Colombian president had called for the resignation of his coalition government, highlighting a necessary “overhaul of the government”.
In power since August 7, Gustavo Petro is trying with difficulty to pass several bills, in particular in recent weeks a disputed reform of the health system which has undermined his government coalition.
The political crisis had been brewing for several weeks, with this health reform as a catalyst. The liberal party, the conservative party and the party of the U (centrist) – all three members of the government coalition – once again opposed the bill head-on on Tuesday, threatening to expel from their ranks all parliamentarians who would vote in favor of it.
The same day, Congress redacted in committee another piece of legislation on the very sensitive subject of land redistribution and agrarian reform, again provoking the strong dissatisfaction of President Petro.
The first executive formed by the left-wing president was based on a coalition open to the center, the moderate right, and the academic world. The key portfolios of Defense, Interior, Finance or Foreign Affairs had thus been entrusted to personalities not from the “Historical Pact”, the left alliance having brought Petro to power.
Since his arrival at the head of the country, Gustavo Petro has had to face several resignations and dismissed three of his ministers at the end of February, including the centrist Alejandro Gaviria of the Education portfolio, very critical of the reform of health.
“First major political crisis in the government and within the coalition”, headlined Wednesday morning El Tiempo, declaring “the coalition dead”.
“Health reform: the divisive project that put an end to the government coalition”, also noted El Espectador.
A key political personality and prime contractor for the government coalition, Congress President Roy Barreras expressed his fear that President Petro’s statements would “generate an unprecedented crisis” in the country.
“Democracies require moderation and constructive dialogue. Not confrontations and imposed decisions”, warned on Twitter the former president (2010-2018) and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Juan Manuel Santos, worried. of these “uncertainties”, and whose comments on the political situation in the country are rare.
On February 15, Gustavo Petro called on his supporters to take to the streets in support of his reforms. From the balcony of the presidential palace he had warned that he would continue to call for demonstrations until “change” became a reality.
In addition to the failure of several of his bills in Congress, Mr. Petro is struggling to implement his ambitious “total peace” plan to end the armed conflict in the country.
04/26/2023 22:49:13 – Bogotá (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
