Finance Minister stays: “President Petro asked me to continue”

Recently, the government of President Gustavo Petro went through one of its moments more critical after the departure of three cabinet ministers. They were Alejandro Gaviria, from the Ministry of Health, María Isabel Urrutia, from the Ministry of Recreation and Sports, and Patricia Ariza, from the Ministry of Culture.

(Read: Labor and pension reforms would be agreed against the clock).

The announcement was made by the President through a speech accompanied by his other ministers. Among them, the head of the Treasury portfolio, Jose Antonio Ocampo. At that time, it was speculated that his position was also in danger after signing a letter criticizing the Executive’s health reform.

In an interview for EL TIEMPO, Ocampo asserted that the president asked him and Cecilia López, Minister of Agriculture, to continue in the Government. “That speculation that some of us were associated to resign en bloc never had any foundation“, he pointed out.

Along with that, that his license from Columbia University in New York was due to expire in Junebut he plans to extend it to complete the two-year leave authorized for professors at that institution.

(See: ‘EPS have a dominant power that must be distributed’: Minsalud).

In this sense, Ocampo would be a minister until mid-2024.”I will be here, unless otherwise decided“, assured the minister, who is one of those with the greatest credibility inside and outside the country.

“The message of our support for public social spending and the energy transition has been made very clear, while preserving fiscal sustainability and acting responsibly. That is the central message of my term as Finance Minister, which was made very clear during the tax reform discussion. A key element is the commitment to reduce both the fiscal and external deficits,” Ocampo told EL TIEMPO.

(Read: Oviedo promises to “end” the “pico y placa” in Bogotá if he is mayor).

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