Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, is going through a rocky period in his administration. There have been challenges on the security front. The handling of a proposed healthcare reform has created fissures in his cabinet, most significantly the departure of Alejandro Gaviria, a minister for education, who represented the technocratic faction of the cabinet. In the meantime, Petro’s family members are being accused of corruption. A slower economy and inflation of above 13% a year are not helping – Petro’s popularity levels have fallen below 50%. Critics say the president could turn more intolerant of dissent moving forward. What Petro should we expect to see from now on? In this episode, we discuss this with journalist and policy analyst Mariana Palau. Palau also shares her analysis of the government’s paz total program and changes to energy policy.
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Guests:
Mariana Palau is a journalist and policy analyst
Luiza Franco is editor and podcast producer at Americas Quarterly
Suggested readings and podcast episodes:
AQ Podcast: Colombia’s Petro Prepares for Government
Colombia’s Growth Is Slowing, Imperiling Gustavo Petro’s Agenda by Luis Fernando Mejía
Who Is Colombia’s Next Finance Minister? by Luiza Franco
In Colombia, Passing Tax Reform Was the Easy Part by Ricardo Ávila
Can Petro Pull Off ‘Total Peace’ in Colombia? by Will Freeman
