Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro sacked three of his ministers ahead local and regional elections in October.
Petro announced on Monday that Education Minister Alejandro Gaviria, Culture Minister Patricia Ariza and Sports Minister Maria Isabel Urrutia agreed to resign.
On Wednesday, the president said that the resignations were meant to create “more cohesion and determination” in his government, which took office in August last year.
Petro added on Twitter that “from my ministers I only demand loyalty to the government program, results and zero corruption.”
Problems to deliver on made promises
The government has come under frequent criticism over its failures to effectively deliver on ambitious campaign promises made last year.
Petro’s perceived ability to deliver will play a major role in October, when Colombians vote in local and regional elections.
A victory in these elections would make it easier for Petro to implement his ambitious reforms in cooperation with politically aligned mayors and governors.
A loss in these elections would make the government more dependent on support from Congress, where some of Petro’s coalition partners aren’t too excited about the “change” voters were promised by the president while on campaign.
Particularly the Conservative Party, which is part of the government coalition in Congress, has had trouble to maintain its lawmakers in line.
Multiple politicians have expressed their concern that conservative voters may punish Conservative Party candidates in the local and regional elections for their party’s support for Petro’s “Government of Change.”
Chaos in governance
Conservative opposition party “Radical Change” has been proposing alternative reforms to those of the government (Image: Senate)
Apart from the pushback in Congress, Petro and some of his ministers have at time been slow or clumsy in the formulation of proposals for controversial socio-economic and political reforms.
So far, the government has been able to push a significant tax reform and its 2023 budget through Congress.
Also Petro’s “Total Peace” policy has made it through the capitol relatively unscathed, but has yet to produce the promised improvements in regards to the country’s decades-long armed conflict and crime rates.
Colombia’s prosecution all but collapsed, statistics suggest
Pending reforms
Hospital in Choco’s capital Quibdo
The National Development Plan, which provides the blueprint of Petro’s socio-economic policy for the coming four years, which must be approved before the end of May, is still pending.
Congress also has yet to approve Agriculture Minister Cecilia Lopez’ land reform, which seeks a major redistribution of land property.
Congress has yet to begin debates about Health Minister Carolina Corcho’s proposed reform, which would drastically reduce the role of notoriously ineffective private intermediaries.
Electoral corruption unattended
Petro and National Registrar Alexander Vega have been forced to largely abandon his proposed electoral reforms to effectively combat voter fraud.
Historically, Colombia’s regional and local elections have been particularly vulnerable to fraud, particularly vote-buying by regional elites and guerrilla group ELN.
Also organized crime groups, and drug traffickers in particular, have shown a consistent interest in local and regional elections, particularly in cities and provinces with a considerable criminal economy.
Tensions throughout Colombia rose ahead of Petro’s election after evidence revealed major irregularities during the congressional elections in March last year.
Whether Vega, whose reputation is marred by corruption allegations, has taken measures to prevent a repetition of last year’s chaotic elections is uncertain.