The unexpected resignation of Armando Benedetti to the Colombian embassy in the FAO and its return to the national political scene, with an eventual future in the Casa de Nariño, confirmed this weekend, they continue to make noise in the environment closest to the President Gustavo Petro.
In this way, Benedetti once again demonstrates the influence and closeness with the head of state, who, despite the controversies in the embassies in Venezuela and the FAO, in addition to the troubles derived from the leaked statements about the alleged income of 15,000 million pesos to the Petro Presidente campaign, in 2022chose to accede to the wish of the outgoing diplomat: to return to the country to have a more predominant role in the current government.
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“I am going to resign from the embassy at FAO. I already have the resignation letter ready, I will pass it on next week (…) I will come to help the Government on national issues, as an advisor. I think he is doing well (…) To be clear, there has been a lack of more suitable people in the Government. More than just qualified people, they are also more experienced“, Benedetti told ‘Semana’ magazine.
The return of the former senator, who has several criminal proceedings pending both in the Prosecutor’s Office and in the Supreme Court of Justice, surprised even those closest to the President of the Republic. To begin with, Petro has to handle a ‘hot potato’: How to ensure that the return of the man who was key to his victory in 2022 does not generate a critical situation with his right hand, the director of Dapre, Laura Sarabia, whom Benedetti has publicly mistreated and who is known to be unwilling to work with him in the Government?
Armando Benedetti.
EL TIEMPO Archive
This becomes even more relevant after voices came out in favor of Sarabia’s work: “Who wants to remove Laura Sarabia? It is a task… Being at the same time a containment barrier, filter and loyal support for a President is a hard task because it generates misunderstandings and attacks from those who feel affected or isolated, some with reason, others without it. It is common to blame the doorman if they don’t let you enter the nightclub.“, he commented on X Colombian ambassador to the United Kingdom, Roy Barreras.
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The position that has been discussed for Benedetti is that of external advisor, a kind of high-level liaison between the Nariño House and the Congress of the Republicwhich would be paid for by international cooperation resources and which, in principle, would work hand in hand with the Minister of the Interior, Juan Fernando Cristo, to try to smooth the process of the key reform projects of the Executive, especially in the Senate.
According to sources consulted by EL TIEMPO, Cristo is one of those surprised by the news of Benedetti’s return: how to prevent him from becoming a shadow Minister of Politics, even contrary to the ideas of the head of the portfolio, It will be another of the problems that could arise with the figure. Even this Monday, the minister told the press that “I have no idea” when asked about the role that Benedetti would play.
What would happen to Laura Sarabia?
Laura Sarabia
Presidency
According to sources close to the high government, Sarabia would remain in Dapre for now; However, it is not ruled out that movements will be made in January that have already been rumored for months.
In fact, some of these sources do not rule out adjustments in the Ministry of Foreign Affairswhose owner, Luis Gilberto Murillocould leave office in the first months of 2025, in search of a presidential pre-candidacy supported by the current National Government. They point out that if Sarabia leaves Dapre, Augusto Rodríguez, current head of the National Protection Unit, would arrive there..
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Since the beginning of 2023, when his role as ambassador in Venezuela was already unsustainable despite the diplomatic closeness between Bogotá and Caracas, Benedetti wanted to return to Colombia at more leading levels (at that time, the Ministry of the Interior and the Foreign Ministry were talked about) .
The scandal over the leak of the conversations in which he mistreated Laura Sarabia – who had been part of his legislative work team and came with him to the Petro Presidente campaign in 2022 – and the controversies with the then chancellor Alvaro Leyva led Petro to keep him in the background for a few months, after which he ended up being awarded the embassy to the FAO.
Now, when the 2026 legislative and presidential elections are halfway through the political agenda, the head of state says yes to his return.
PORTFOLIO
*With information from EL TIEMPO – POLITICS
