Colombian Government believes that prosecutor Barbosa lacks competence in the Petro case

Published at: 06/02/2024 06:30 PM

The Minister of Labor of Colombia, Gloria Inés Ramírez, explained why President Gustavo Petro held the attorney general responsible for a constitutional rupture in the country and stressed that there are forces that oppose the Government of change.

In an interview in the Global Connection segment, broadcast by TELESUR, the minister considered that the institutional conflict is being managed by the current prosecutor Francisco Barbosa, appointed to the previous Government, but he has no competence to investigate the president.

In recent days, Petro considered that the order of the Attorney General's Office against his foreign minister Andrés Leyva (suspended from office for three months for declaring the tender of passports and other events void), is clear evidence that there is a plan to remove him from power.

Another investigation in this regard is about a contribution of 500 million Colombian pesos from the teachers' union to the Historical Pact campaign in 2022.

Minister Ramírez said, in the interview with journalist Janet Pérez Moya, that unfortunately on the part of the prosecution there has been ignorance of the laws and the limits have been crossed and now in the country the competence to investigate the president lies only with the Ethics of Accusations Committee of the Congress of the Republic, she added.

“In no way is the prosecutor a competent authority to investigate the president,” he emphasized.

The head of Labor considered that the contribution given by a trade union organization with roots in Colombia, such as teachers, is being demonized. “Why has this scandal occurred now when in the history of the country there have been other contributions from other social entities to political parties,” he said.

“This demonization reflects that behind these accusations there is an objective, which is to show that the contribution is illegal but the trade union organization (FECODE) is considering making this type of donation,” he criticized.

He recalled that the prosecutor is about to end his term and now the Supreme Court of Justice must decide on the list of three women, commanded by President Petro.

TELESUR//Mazo News Team