This is how politicians and businessmen have reacted to Presidency purchases

In ‘the eye of the hurricane’ are President Gustavo Petro and Vice President Francia Márquez after meeting the large purchases of bedding and appliances for the private houses of each.

(In context: Millionaires denounce cost overruns in purchases by the Presidency).

In the list of millionaire acquisitions there is a 85-inch television with a cost of $27.4 million pesos, in addition to millionaire blankets and bedding, appliances and other items that exceed, by category, two million pesos.

Now, the positions are divided although, for the most part, the criticisms leveled at the government are strong, since they arecause of lack of coherence for his speech of austerity.

One of the defenders, in the middle of the situation, was Gustavo Bolívar, senator of the Historical Pact, who argued that these decisions were made by “some official who wanted to show off” and also implied that they are decisions that undermine his figure: “They are not taking care of the president“, said.

In this case, the management would have been carried out by the Administrative Department of the Presidency (Dapre) through the purchase orders 96358 and 96479. Purchases of 31 items between appliances and bedding in total exceed $173 million.

For her part, the House representative, Jennifer Pedraza SandovaHe claimed that this went against his whole talk of change.

(Also: The keys to the meeting between Blinken, the US secretary, and Petro).

“Petro campaigned eating fried bananas in Chocó but came to the presidency to buy sheets for 25 million. Didn’t they promise change? These excesses are the ENTIRE opposite of what people chose! We criticized it before and we will criticize it now,” she wrote on his Twitter account.

The representative to the House, for the Green Party, Carolina Giraldo Botero He also showed his discontent with the situation: “If the government has talked about austerity since the campaign, it must be consistent. I understand that the presidential family does not want to sleep in the same beds as the outgoing government, but weren’t there sheets, markers and less expensive TVs?” he said.

Former presidential candidate Federico Gutierrez He joined the criticism: “Yes, there was a change, but of televisions, sheets and goose down,” he wrote on his Twitter account.

Also, it was pronounced businessman Mario Hernandez who responded to criticism from ‘Fico’ and Salud Hernández. On Twitter she wrote: “Enjoying the power. Take advantage. It’s 4 years. Then it’s over.”

Added to this list is the Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay who assured that: “The Petro government claimed to have received the scraped pot; it is imposing a tax reform that is not needed; and now it buys luxury sheets and televisions for the president’s personal use for more than 70 million.”

(Keep reading: Change policies that do not work: results of the meeting of the Government).

Among the few defenders is Mauricio Lizcano, director of Drape, justifying that this type of purchases are usually made in governments. “Furnishing private houses is a duty of DAPRE after prior requests from the administrative heads of each house and all purchases as in this case,” he explained.

Also, it was pronounced Congresswoman Maria Jose Pizarro that has a strong relationship with the current government: “Our government must be austere, efficient and forceful in results. I am sure that the “shopping line” that is in public opinion today is due to customs that are not aligned with the style, purposes and forms of this government,” he explained.

For her part, the House representative, of the Historical Pact, Mafe Carrascal He asked for explanations from the Dapre. “I make a call to the director of Dapre
to clarify if there were cost overruns in the presidency purchases and, if verified, take the corresponding measures. The mandate of Colombians and
Gustavo Petro is about austerity and care for the public,” he wrote.

(See: Francia Márquez, one of Time magazine’s 100 world leaders).

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