Former Minister of Health, Fernando Ruiz, had the support of 20 countries but Colombia withdrew its support. Now the country has no candidate and will have to vote for another country.
Colombia News.
In Colombia, an explanation is awaited from the government of Gustavo Petro, as to why he withdrew his support, according to former minister Fernando Ruiz himself, to seek the presidency of the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO.
Ruiz has not publicly criticized or spoken about the decisions of the current Ministry of Health since leaving office. “I have given them their space to make their decisions and evaluate their management plans.”
“I receive a call in which they tell me that the support has been withdrawn”Ruiz said.
Brazil, Mexico have already held the presidency, “Colombia was the country that followed in importance due to its size, for the first to have a certificate in the eradication of Measles” and other diseases, “it is an important country in the management of public health” .
In more than 100 years that PAHO has had, the country has never held the presidency, until now, it was the clearest possibility that it had to hold that position.
Ruiz had support from 20 out of 35 countries.
With what happened, the country is left out “because the term expired.” And the election will be on September 25, now the country must vote for another candidate.
This would have been decided, because the decisions in PAHO “would directly impact the decisions of the government” and therefore they would want to have someone from the government.
I personally regret that the government has withdrawn support in my name for the direction of PAHO, but it hurts more than Colombia after 120 years and with all the acknowledgments in its public health history, it does not have the possibility of directing it. It was almost a right of the country. pic.twitter.com/dY6w7mQTl4
– Fernando Ruiz (@Fruizgomez) September 19, 2022