Colombia's Political Context

BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia's President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday stated that he expects his Finance Minister Ricardo Bonilla to resign due to an ongoing corruption scandal. However, the president clarified that he does not believe the minister has committed any wrongdoing.

The escalating scandal, investigated by the attorney general's office and other entities, pertains to the alleged misdirection of resources from the national disaster management agency (UNGRD) and is linked to various officials, including a former interior minister.

Bonilla has maintained that he has not committed any crime and respects the work of the attorney general's office.

> "I expect his resignation, not because I believe him guilty, but because they want to tear him apart for being loyal to the government's program and they want to unconstitutionally take down the government," Petro expressed in a detailed message on X.

Petro has persistently accused his political adversaries of attempting to illegally remove him from office.

The finance ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

If Bonilla steps down, he will become the second finance minister to exit Petro's government since it took power in August 2022. In April 2023, Petro had called for the resignation of then-Finance Minister Jose Antonio Ocampo, who was succeeded by Bonilla, alongside other ministers after a proposed health reform stalled in the Colombian Congress' lower house.