The resignation of Alejandro Gaviria from the Ministry of Education took many by surprise. The announcement was made by President Gustavo Petro in a speech that lasted less than five minutes and focused on health reform. The president was determined to carry out the reform and argued that he is doing it to protect health as a right and not as a business.
At his right hand was Carolina Corcho, whose arguments have not exactly been liked by other officials, especially Alejandro Gaviria, who had already held that position in the era of Juan Manuel Santos. Gaviria did not consider the foundations on which the reform was based rigorous enough and his discontent quickly made itself felt within the Historical Pact.
Recently, a letter signed by him and by the ministers Cecilia López and José Antonio Ocampo was released, proposing objections to the reform in 17 pages. Petro said the disagreements did not represent a crisis and that the reform was still on. Hours later, Alejandro Gaviria resigned.
Last year, when he was a presidential candidate, Gaviria told Juanpis González (Alejandro Riaño’s character) that a Petro government would fall piece by piece, minister by minister, due to the president’s inability to put together a cabinet.
At least that’s how it happened, or seems to have happened, since it is true that there have been no pronouncements by Gaviria at the time this note was published. But yes, Gaviria’s video with ‘Juanpis’ does not stop appearing on the networks, fanning the fire that feeds the soul of the ghost of ministerial collapse.
Of course, more surprise has meant for many the departures of Patricia Ariza from the Ministry of Culture and María Isabel Urrutia from Sports. Those who come to replace her could be the very answer to what many are wondering today.