Colombian President Petro reshuffles cabinet in dramatic move
Petro hopes the risky cabinet shake-up will give new impetus to efforts to push reform through Colombia’s legislature.
President Gustavo Petro has replaced seven ministers in a shakeup that he hopes will revive his ambitious reform agenda in Colombia, a platform that has faced significant obstacles since taking office in August.
Petro announced the changes Wednesday, replacing key figures such as Treasury Secretary Jose Antonio Ocampo and Health Secretary Carolina Corcho.
“Today a new cabinet is being built that will help consolidate the government program,” Petro wrote in a statement posted on Twitter.
The surprise shake-up is a gamble that could mark a defining moment in Petro’s legacy as the leftist president grapples with challenges ranging from securing peace with Colombia’s criminal and rebel groups to reforming the country’s labor and healthcare systems.
Healthcare reform has been a major bone of contention, with Petro promoting a plan he says would increase access to the country’s poor and raise wages for healthcare workers.
Faced with opposition from what he called “traditional political leaders and the establishment,” Petro demonstrated his commitment to the reforms by tossing figures appointed to his cabinet as an olive branch to powerful conservative and center-right forces, including Ocampo.
“We reaffirm our commitment to always remain faithful to the popular mandate we have been given and we have decided to form a government to renew our agenda for social change,” added Petro.
Some political figures, including prominent allies of the president, have expressed concern that the bold move could backfire.
Congress president and Petro ally Roy Barreras called the decision an “unprecedented crisis” and said Petro “announced the death of his coalition”.
Ocampo has been replaced by Ricardo Bonilla, a former university professor who served as Petro’s secretary of finance during his tenure as mayor of the capital Bogota.
Petro also named allies such as Juan Fernando Velasco as interior minister and Mauricio Lizcano for the technology and communications portfolio.
The AFP reported on Wednesday that Petro had asked his entire cabinet to resign, but none had offered to do so publicly.