After the request he made President Gustavo Petro on his social network account X to resign as Minister of Finance, Ricardo Bonilla responded to the president and agreed to leave office.
In a letter addressed to Petro, Bonilla presented his “irrevocable resignation from the position of Minister of Finance and Public Credit of Colombia“and maintained that he always said”that I respect the work of the Prosecutor’s Office and that I would not use my position in the cabinet to defend myself“.
(See: The storms that surrounded Ricardo Bonilla’s management in Minhacienda).
“I consider that the time has come to assume, together with my legal team, my defense as a citizen, devoid of my status as a public official, to concentrate on the process and avoid any damage to the future of the Government in its public agenda.“he added.
He said that the accusations against him about his alleged participation in the corruption network in the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) they leave lessons about “The institutional design of the Inter-Palamental Commission on Public Credit” and “The permanent delays in granting non-binding concepts lend themselves to maneuvers that leave the minister on duty in trouble.“.
He assured that he leaves the Ministry of Finance with his “head held high”, and that He hopes to convince his investigators that he did not buy silence or votes from congressmen “neither indicative quotas nor did I commit any crime for personal gain.”
(See: The allegations in the UNGRD case against former Minister Bonilla).
According to his first, and cut management balance, he leaves Colombia’s finances in “good health” and fiscal stability is maintained “despite external and internal circumstances that we had to face“.
Finally, he wished Petro that his government “consolidate the beginning of a new Colombia, with more inclusion and less inequality“.
(See: Analysis of the departure of Ricardo Bonilla from the Petro government).
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Ricardo Bonilla.
The resignation request
In his message in X, of more than 25 paragraphs, Petro made it clear that he does not believe that Bonilla is guilty of alleged corruption in the UNGRD case and that he asked him to resign because he does not want to be ‘torn to pieces’ for being loyal to the ideas of his government.
“I am not going to allow the people to be cornered with extortion and I will use the constitution if Congress lets itself be carried away by those who extort and seek an unconstitutional coup, because my duty is to help the people who work and study with everything, and not kneel before those who They serve the most powerful interests of greed and insensitivity towards the humble. I hope for his resignation (Bonilla’s) because now he must dedicate himself to his defense without stain of using power in his defense“, hill.
(See: Political reactions to Petro’s request for the resignation of Ricardo Bonilla).
He described his now former official as a great colleague and honest teacher, and stated that during her time as the Secretary of the Treasury of Bogotá (in the Petro mayor’s office), “Dr. Ricardo Bonilla left it (the capital) in its best financial moment“, and as Minister of Finance “took Colombia out of recession due to the over-indebtedness left by Duque“.
CAMILO HERNÁNDEZ M.
Digital Portfolio Editor
