2024-08-13 03:19:00
The director of the Department of Social Prosperity (DPS), Gustavo Bolívar, defended the hiring of influencers by the government of President Gustavo Petro, in response to a revealing report by the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP).
The report states that the Government has allocated more than 662 million pesos in the last two years for the hiring of content creators in various State agencies.which has generated a wave of reactions in public opinion.
Among the most notable cases is that of Celso Tete Crespo, who was recently appointed as a grade 13 advisor to the Presidency of the Republic, and who received a contract of 120,266,667 pesos through the Ministry of the Environment.
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Also mentioned are Walter Alfonso Rodríguez, known as “Wally Opina,” who received 45,600,000 pesos for his work on the RTVC platforms, and María Niny Echeverry, who received 24,333,333 pesos to support journalistic and content activities. Another case is that of Jader David Rozo, known as “Don Izquierdo,” who was hired for 35,550,000 pesos to collaborate in digital journalism for the public media system.
Despite criticism, Bolívar has staunchly defended this strategy, pointing out that hiring influencers is not illegal and that other governments have also invested large sums in advertising.In a post on social media, Bolívar said: “Where in the penal or disciplinary codes does it say that giving work to influencers is a crime? Where does it say that those who work in social media cannot work?».
Bolívar continued his defense by highlighting that these influencers are being criticized for denying slander and exposing corruption.He also questioned why the actions of the current administration are being criticized while, according to him, previous governments used similar tactics without receiving the same media attention.
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