Finance Minister Ricardo Bonilla is the second to leave Petro’s government, facing legislative obstacles and investigations.
A key member of President Gustavo Petro’s government in Colombia has resigned amid the latest corruption scandal to shake up the regime.
Finance Minister Ricardo Bonilla stepped down Wednesday in defiance of allegations that he diverted money from Colombia’s disaster relief agency and bought votes in a congressional committee dealing with government finances.
“I leave with my head held high confident that I will convince my investigators that I have not bought silence or votes from congressmen,” Bonilla said. wrote On social media.
He denied committing any crimes. “The defense I am undertaking with my legal team is backed by truth and transparency.”
President Petro, Colombia First left-wing presidentHas faced a string of scandals and legislative setbacks since taking office in 2022. But even after he accepted the minister’s resignation, he stood by Bonilla.
“I know the accusation against Bonilla is unfair,” Petro wrote In one of two lengthy missives on social media, Bonilla was described as a “true economist, committed to the needs of his people”.
But, Petro added, Colombia is “based on political and legal corruption.”
Petro replaced Bonilla on Wednesday afternoon with Deputy Finance Minister Diego Guevara.
Bonilla was the second finance minister to leave the Petro government. He abruptly took over from Petro to José Antonio Ocampo in 2023 He reshuffled his cabinet.
The scandal that brought down Bonilla emerged earlier this year when the public prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into huge contracts for the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, or UNGRD.
Some of the purchases reportedly included $10.5 million in contracts for defective water tankers La GujiraResidents there struggle to get drinking water.
Former head of UNGRD also accused Bonilla of involvement in the recruitment scam.
Colombia’s Supreme Court has indicated that it is basing its investigation on “crimes of bribery and possible illicit enrichment”.
The former deputy director of the UNGRD, Schneider Pinilla – himself under investigation – later became a cooperating witness. His lawyers said he provided evidence of a “criminal structure” linking UNGRD to high-ranking federal officials.
But Petro has largely rejected allegations of corruption within his government.
In October, for example, election officials announced They were investigating possible campaign finance violations in Petro’s historic bid for office, which the president framed as sabotage.
“The rebellion has begun,” Petro wrote on social media.
That investigation is also ongoing and involves not only Petro but also his former campaign manager, Ricardo Roa.
Petro’s son Nicholas Petro also accepted house arrest Accused of receiving money from persons linked to drug trafficking in 2023, he denied that his father, the president, knew anything about the scheme.
President Petro linked their cases together statement Wednesday about Bonilla’s resignation.
There are people who want to use the scandal involving Bonilla to “collapse the government’s economic policy,” he wrote on social media.
“They now say that Bonilla denounced Roa and my son when he was an anonymous liar handed over to the Ministry of Finance since October,” Petro said.
“They want to divide us into fights they invent themselves.”
