Facing traditional political parties opposing several of his bills, Colombian President Gustavo Petro replaced seven ministers in his coalition government on Wednesday (April 26th).

"Today a new cabinet is being built that will help consolidate the government's program," an official statement from the head of state announced in the early afternoon.

Gustavo Petro notably replaced the Ministers of the Interior, Finance, Agriculture and Health. The four holders of these portfolios are now Ricardo Bonilla, Jhenifer Mojica, Luis Fernando Velasco and Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo respectively. All of them have 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, included "a roadmap to bring about the change that millions of Colombians voted for," the statement said.

Despite "a commitment to dialogue", with a government coalition open to the centre and the moderate right, this "pact has been rejected by some traditional politicians and the establishment", justifies Gustavo Petro in the document, reaffirming his objective of an "agenda of social change", while promoting "great national agreements".

'Government overhaul'

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 7th August, Gustavo Petro is trying with difficulty to pass several bills, in particular in recent weeks a contested reform of the health system that 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 U Party (centrist) - all three members of the government coalition - once again opposed the bill head-on, threatening to expel from their ranks all parliamentarians who vote in favour of it.

On 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 discontent of President Petro.

Beware of "clashes"

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 Defence, Interior, Finance and Foreign Affairs were thus entrusted to personalities not from the "Historic Pact", the left-wing alliance that 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 from the Education portfolio, who is very critical of the health reform.

A key political figure and prime contractor of 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 about these "uncertainties", and whose comments on the political situation of the country are rare.

On 15th February Gustavo Petro asked his supporters to take to the streets to support his reforms. From the balcony of the presidential palace he had warned that he would continue to call for protests until "change" became a reality.

In addition to the failure of several bills in Congress, Gustavo Petro is struggling to implement his ambitious "total peace" plan to end the armed conflict in the country.

With AFP

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