2024-02-11 21:23:04
The ministers who have left the Petro Government have not been on good terms with the president and some of the members of the presidential cabinet, such is the case of Cecilia López, former head of the Agriculture portfolio, who constantly attacks the head of state and its management.
Now, In a new intersection between former ministers and government officials, Health Minister Guillermo Jaramillo ‘poured dirty water’ from the Government’s budget execution box national to the former head of the Treasury portfolio, José Antonio Ocampo, who accused him of allocating state budgets behind Gustavo Petro’s back.
In the middle of a public hearing on the health reform held in Pasto (Nariño) last Friday, February 9, Jaramillo maintained that Ocampo designated, without the president’s consent, 18 billion pesos for the Fuel Price Stabilization Fund (Fepc) to clean up the fiscal gap that the Duque Government had left.
“It is very true, finances were budgeted that did not arrive, but even more serious, Minister Ocampo paid 18 million pesos to pay for gasoline, gap left by the previous Government of 36 billion pesos and 18 billion pesos were spent without the president knowing“Jaramillo stated.
In addition, Guillermo Jaramillo said that the former Minister of Finance was responsible for defunding the construction of universitiesone of Gustavo Petro’s flags since he became President of Colombia.
“And nearly three billion were paid into the Fomag (Teaching Social Benefits Fund) and the possibility of building universities that the president has raised was defunded. Yes, the financial situation is not good,” he pointed out.
After Guillermo Jaramillo’s controversial statements came to light, José Antonio Ocampo responded through his social networks and denied point by point the assertions of the head of the Health portfolio.
Through his X account, Ocampo referred to the accusations of making budget allocations without the consent of President Gustavo Petro and said that the president was aware of all his decisions while he was minister.
Regarding the destination of the 18 billion pesos, the former minister said that it was true, but that it was done with the approval of Petro and that, if it had not been for that risky decision, the fiscal gap in the Fuel Price Stabilization Fund would continue to grow uncontrollably to date.
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“About the Fepc, Minister Guillermo Jaramillo is wrong. It was agreed with the President that the gasoline price adjustment would begin in October 2022. And the Government fortunately continues to comply with its fiscal commitments in this field to this day. The balance of the FEPC has been prevented from growing, as happened in previous years,” he emphasized.
Ocampo acknowledged that it was a difficult decision to make because it was unpopular, but that it was a necessary evil to be able to pay off the debts that the president had received and at the same time have resources for the environmental approach that was planned.
“We began the unpopular but technically and environmentally correct adjustment of gasoline prices. “We were very clear that subsidizing gasoline was not, in any way, better than financing social programs,” added the former minister.
Regarding his alleged responsibility in the lack of budget execution of the national government, José Ocampo said that the Minister of Health had lied and added that the budget addition for last year was achieved thanks to him, but that the lack of execution.
“Minister Guillermo Jaramillo is wrong: I have no responsibility for the current budget. And the 2023 addition, for which I am only partially responsible, because it was approved after my departure from government, included a considerable addition for the health sector,” Ocampo concluded.
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