International
Petro’s cabinet reshuffle seeks to “put together a coalition” to pass his reforms
April 28 |
The changes in part of the cabinet of the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, imply not only the breaking of relations with some political parties that were part of his coalition and working with more “loyal” and closer people, but also that he seeks to open spaces to move forward his government projects, according to analysts consulted by Voice of America.
“Petro is a person who has not changed since we have known him in Colombian politics, I have the impression that he can close with his people, put together a coalition to try to pass his reforms and look for the street to vote him some things as it has already happened in Colombia”, explained the political analyst and columnist of the newspaper El Espectador, Pedro Viveros.
For Theodore Kahn, associate director of Control Risks, the changes offer a more united cabinet with an ideology closer to that of the president. “There is probably going to be an effort to really put forward some reforms and some public policy objectives more aligned with what Petro had put forward in the campaign and some of the banners that he has carried for several years,” Viveros said.
In this sense, Kahn adds, he will have less inconvenience when it comes to “moderating his proposals” and “accepting points of view internally” and, in this way, “achieving the more radical objectives in some areas that he wants to implement”.
The most sensitive changes within Petro’s cabinet are in the Treasury, Health and Agriculture portfolios.
The first one, due to the stability in the markets and the national and international recognition that the outgoing minister, José Antonio Ocampo, represented, not only for being known as one of the most respected economists in the country, but also because he managed to push forward the most ambitious tax reform in the history of Colombia.
Despite his good relationship with the Colombian president, he is not as close as his successor, economist Ricardo Bonilla, current director of the Financiera de Desarrollo Territorial (Findeter), former Secretary of Finance in Bogota, during Petro’s administration, and his advisor on different issues, such as pensions.
Another sensitive issue is the health reform, proposed by the outgoing minister, Carolina Corcho, whom many legislators and political leaders have described as intransigent, which presented inconveniences at the time of advancing this proposal in Congress.
“We are in the process of this very complicated reform… Petro is going to want with this change in health to exercise more control over the administrative process of this project. He does not want to lose control of this process”, said Corcho.
His successor, surgeon Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo, has more experience in the political arena. He was Secretary of Health of the Mayor’s Office of Bogota and District Secretary between 2013 and 2014. He has also been senator and representative to the chamber, which opens channels in these sectors.
The departure of Agriculture Minister Cecilia López, according to Kahn, is also “interesting”, since “she was a person with a lot of credibility, very technical and was handling a Petro’s flagship proposal that was approved”.
However, her public criticism of the energy transition project in the country and the health reform proposed by Corcho would earn her departure.
This portfolio will be led by lawyer Jhénifer Mojica Flórez, the current director of Ethnic Affairs of the Land Restitution Unit. She was deputy director of the Colombian Commission of Jurists (CCJ) and has been part of several processes with the Association of Arhuaca Authorities of the Sierra Nevada and the Commission for the Clarification of the Truth.
International
Senate Bipartisan Vote Moves Measure to Block Further U.S. Military Action in Venezuela
The U.S. Senate took a significant step on Thursday toward limiting President Donald Trump’s military authority in Venezuela, advancing a bipartisan war powers resolution that would block further military actions without explicit congressional approval, lawmakers said.
In a 52-47 procedural vote, the measure moved forward after five Republican senators joined all Democrats in supporting the effort. The resolution aims to require presidential authorization from Congress before the United States can engage in any new hostilities against Venezuela, a rare rebuke of Trump from both sides of the aisle following the controversial military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
If ultimately passed, the legislation would obligate the administration to withdraw U.S. forces from any imminent hostilities in or against Venezuela unless Congress explicitly authorizes such actions. However, the measure’s future remains uncertain as it heads next to the House of Representatives, where a Republican majority is less likely to approve it, and any final version would likely face a presidential veto. Overriding a veto would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers, a high threshold in the current political landscape.
President Trump has sharply criticized Republican senators who broke ranks to support the resolution, saying they should not be re-elected and arguing that the measure undermines his authority to act in national defense. Nevertheless, the vote signals growing bipartisan concern in Congress about unchecked executive military action in the absence of legislative authorization.
International
Petro and Trump Agree on Joint Action Against ELN Guerrillas After Tense Diplomacy
Colombian President Gustavo Petro and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump agreed on “joint actions” to combat the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group operating along the Colombia–Venezuela border, Colombia’s Interior Minister Armando Benedetti said on Thursday.
The announcement came after a period of heightened diplomatic tension triggered by recent U.S. airstrikes in Venezuela, the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and threats of possible U.S. military action in Colombia. The phone call Wednesday evening was the first direct conversation between Petro and Trump since both leaders took office, and it helped ease the strained relationship.
During the call, both presidents committed to carry out joint efforts against the ELN, a guerrilla group that has repeatedly attacked Colombian security forces and is accused of kidnapping soldiers. In December, the ELN declared a “armed strike,” confining civilians in areas under its control in response to perceived threats of U.S. intervention.
According to Benedetti, Petro welcomed Trump’s invitation to meet in Washington and asked for U.S. support to “strike hard” against ELN positions along the porous border with Venezuela, where guerrillas often flee after clashes with Colombian forces.
The border region is a longstanding flashpoint, where armed groups, drug traffickers and illegal mining networks compete for control. Previous attempts by Petro’s government to negotiate peace with the ELN have stalled after a major offensive in Catatumbo that left hundreds dead and displaced thousands.
International
Lula Vetoes Bill That Would Have Shortened Bolsonaro’s Prison Sentence
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vetoed on Thursday a bill that would have significantly reduced the prison sentence of his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently serving time for attempting a coup d’état.
Despite the veto, the conservative-majority Congress retains the power to override the decision through a vote.
In September, following a landmark trial, Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison after finding him guilty of conspiring to remain in power in an “authoritarian” manner following his defeat to Lula in the 2022 presidential election.
The 70-year-old former president has been incarcerated in a Brasília prison since late November. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court rejected a request for house arrest on health grounds.
Under the current legal framework, Bolsonaro would be required to serve approximately eight years before becoming eligible for sentence leniency. However, a bill passed by Congress in December could have reduced that period to just over two years, prompting Lula’s veto.
Senate Bipartisan Vote Moves Measure to Block Further U.S. Military Action in Venezuela
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Lula Vetoes Bill That Would Have Shortened Bolsonaro’s Prison Sentence
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