BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday mentioned he expects his Finance Minister Ricardo Bonilla to resign amid an ongoing corruption scandal, although the president mentioned he doesn’t assume the minister has dedicated any wrongdoing.
The rising scandal, which is being investigated by the legal professional common’s workplace and different entities, revolves across the alleged misdirection of assets from the nationwide catastrophe administration company (UNGRD) and has been tied to varied officers, together with a former inside minister.
Bonilla has beforehand mentioned he has not dedicated any crime and respects the work of the legal professional common’s workplace.
“I anticipate his resignation, not as a result of I imagine him responsible, however as a result of they wish to tear him aside for being loyal to the federal government’s program and so they wish to unconstitutionally take down the federal government,” Petro mentioned in an extended missive posted on X.
Petro has repeatedly accused his political enemies of looking for to illegally take away him from workplace.
The finance ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Ought to Bonilla resign, he would be the second finance minister to depart Petro’s authorities, which took energy in August 2022.
In April 2023, Petro known as for the resignation of then-Finance Minister Jose Antonio Ocampo – who was changed by Bonilla – in addition to different ministers after a proposed well being reform was held up within the Colombian Congress’ decrease home.
