The government of (incessant) change

COLOMBIA - In Brief 05 Jun 2023 by Andres Escobar

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August 1994, right after Ernesto Samper’s inauguration as the new president of Colombia. His competitor, Andres Pastrana made public some tapes incriminating Samper’s campaign for allegedly having received $6 million from narcotraffickers to finance his campaign. 2023, 10 months after Petro’s inauguration, former ambassador in Venezuela, and key player on Petro’s presidential campaign, Armando Benedetti, appears on audios allegedly talking to chief of staff Laura Sarabia, mentioning COP 15 billion of campaign monies allegedly key for obtaining the surprisingly good Caribbean and Pacific electoral results, which were instrumental for victory in the presidential election. There will be investigations, revelations, more scandals, recriminations, and so on. Let us state some facts. According to audited and published campaign numbers, COP 31.5 billion were spent, out of which COP 30.5 billion came from bank loans. Hence, there is little room for extra COP 15 billion (circa $3.8 million at the average exchange rate of 3.900 COP/USD, of June 2022). Without a doubt, the campaign manager (currently Ecopetrol's CEO), as well as Mr. Benedetti will be asked to answer before the Supreme Court for the sources, uses and accounting of such extra monies. For the time being, president Petro said: “My government did not receive money from obscure sources”. That is the type of phrases you wish you would have never read in a government statement. We think there is a possibility that all this scandal could lead to an investigation in the House of Representatives. Can president Petro face an impeachment? According to articles 174 and 175 of the Constitution, a political trial for actions or ...