He former Minister of Finance Mauricio Cárdenas In his opinion column this Sunday in El Tiempo, he made a fierce criticism of Gustavo Petro’s government that, at the end of 2024, circulated a document titled ‘#ColombiaVaBien’, which contains, according to them, the more than 600 achievements of the current administration.
For Cárdenas, many of the assumptions achievements that appear there, in reality they are not, or are not entirely attributable to the management of the current government. Given this, he points out that “At this point, the Government’s strategy of convincing people – through pattern and repetition – that things are going well, contrary to what reality shows, is evident. In the best style of what George Orwell told in his famous 1984, the Government wants to convince Colombians that ‘war is peace, freedom is slavery [Y]ignorance is strength’. Meanwhile, the opposition is dispersed, with no other strategy than to react to the day-to-day disorder.“.
The former head of the economic portfolio said that after the conclave and very well indoctrinated, government officials came out to say before the cameras that ‘Colombia is doing well’, and that the Colombian economy is one of the best performing in the world. This, according to a note published by The Economist magazine in December, where it estimated that the Government’s primary deficit in 2024 would be 0.1% of GDP. “If the prestigious magazine revised the calculations now – when this deficit is expected to be close to 2% of GDP – Colombia would no longer be in the top 10 of the OECD countries.“said Cárdenas.
Regarding the government speech Cárdenas points out that they speak of a ‘solid’ economic recovery, falling inflation and an interest rate from the Bank of the Republic in single digits. But he states that “They forget to mention that the economy is not growing more because the investment rate is at a very poor 17% of GDP, when between 2012 and 2018 it was above 22% of GDP“.
On the subject, the former minister maintains that inflation and interest rates are above those of other Latin American nations, and that the 3% growth expected is far below that of other countries in the region, such as Paraguay and the Dominican Republic, which are attracting a lot of investment.
“In the document there is not the slightest allusion to the policy of ‘total peace’. If it did, the Government itself would have had to rectify and tell the truth: #ColombiaNoVaBien“Cárdenas stated.
As for the fight against poverty, “Although the Government talks about the reduction in monetary poverty, which is largely the result of inflation control, the results in multidimensional poverty – which is the most important indicator – fall very short.“.
The former minister affirms that before the current deteriorated outlook and the “own previous achievements as a country“, and what is happening in the region,”The truth is that Colombia is not doing well“.
Likewise, it points out that the ‘achievements’ of the Government correspond to salary increases or budget items. Comprehensive projects, investments in agriculture, productive projects and investments in infrastructure, “that Petrism celebrates so much are just announcements and promises.
In the security chapter, the Government claims success with the seizure figures. What it does not mention is that cocaine production has increased proportionally much more, which indicates that the percentage that is seized has decreased“.
Likewise, the former minister referred to the ‘transformation of the department of Cauca, thanks to the presence of the Public Force and the intervention of the State’, but asserts that The reality in Cauca is that the population fears leaving the urban centers of the municipalities so as not to fall into the crossfire of the armed groups. organized groups (GAO) that dispute the territory.
“That is why it is not surprising that in the document there is not the slightest allusion to the policy of ‘total peace’. If we did so – as illustrated by the dramatic situation in Catatumbo – the Government itself would have had to rectify and tell the truth that the entire country sees every day: #ColombiaNoVaBien“he pointed out.
Portfolio
*With information from EL TIEMPO
