Colombia’s first major government crisis since the breakup between the partners

A shakeup in the Colombian executive. Gustavo Petro he posted his first yesterday a major state crisis: he demanded the formal resignation of all his ministers, and broke with his parliamentary partners, remaining, at least temporarily, in the minority in the legislature.

The leftist leader’s harsh words against his own trusted team, delivered on Tuesday during a meeting in Valle del Cauca, already suggested what would be confirmed hours later. “In order to fulfill the peace agreements, the Government must declare a state of emergency. This means that government teams are working day and night on how to lower food prices, how to give land to farmers, how to have more food crops, and thus lower prices. Whoever is no longer capable of that, well, that person no longer has a place in our government,” said Petro. Not long after that, he asked for his resignation.

His government began in August as a shot, s a grand coalition in Congress with centrist and conservative forceshe even approved progressive tax reform, but frayed in 2023, after difficulties in implementing a project for total peace with armed groups and difficult negotiations on a controversial health reform that pitted him against non-progressive partners and that previously led to the departure of former education minister Alejandro Gaviria.

“The call for a social pact for change was rejected. The political coalition agreed as a majority was ended today by the decision of some party presidents, some of whom threaten the majority in their own bench,” Petro wrote angrily on Twitter, pointing to former president César Gaviria (90-94), leader of the Liberal Party, who threatened sanctions representatives from their own party if they approve the healthcare reform.

The movement could be seismic, because 18 liberal congressmen signed the letter in rebellion yesterdayin which they criticize Gaviria for threats.

At the end of this edition, the names of the dismissed ministers were not published. It is to be expected that representatives of the Liberal, Conservative and ‘de la U’ parties, with whom he was in a coalition until now, will leave the Government.