That Colombia is an inequitable country is a reality like a temple, and that the deficiencies of the peoples cannot be solved with more bureaucracy is clear evidence. But here it is insisted on always stumbling on the same stone. Setting up a ministry of Equality to put an end to social injustice is something as utopian as seeking happiness or peace through a decree law. The Ministry of Equality does not exist in any other country in the world, with the exception of which I will discuss in detail immediately.
What is being set up here is a bureaucratic machine against which some more or less sensible voices in Colombian politics have already risen up, such as former ministers José Antonio Ocampo, Juan Camilo Restrepo and Germán Vargas Lleras, who have fallen short in their criticism of such a white elephant.
Let’s start with the origin of the spawn. When Gustavo Petro visited Spain as a presidential candidate, the first official office he went to was that of the Vice-Presidency of the Spanish government, which was then in the hands of Pablo Iglesias, founder of Podemos, one of those neo-Stalinist parties that in our time gives shame to call oneself a communist because of the discredit of the term in the 21st century. Today only the governments of Cuba, which is a ruin, and of China boast of such a thing for practical reasons of State policy that are irrelevant now.
Mr. Iglesias was a necessary ally of the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, the votes of whose party the latter needed in Congress in order to govern. Sánchez made Iglesias Vice President for a time and he gave his wife, Irene Montero, the Ministry of Equality, and three other friends as many equally useless ministries. Politicians everywhere gamble with public money in this way in order to stay in power. And I was afraid of it when I saw Petro in Iglesias’s office; I thought: “This one, if he becomes president, will bring to Colombia some of the genius of that bird.” And bingo!, brought Equality.
Anyone who wants to document what this ministry disaster has been for the Spanish government has Google at hand so they can be terrified or delighted, depending on the degree of perversion they have. A single one of its laws, poorly drafted, released hundreds of rapists from jail or reduced the sentences in that country. And to the cry of “alone and drunk I want to get home tonight”, hundreds of Spaniards, led by the Minister of Equality, became infected with covid celebrating Women’s Day at the beginning of the pandemic in Europe. In the ministry of yore they knew what was coming from China and they hid it as long as they flaunted their hysteria and nervous breakdown in the public square.
Here in Colombia, José Antonio Ocampo, as if embarrassed by his criticism of the new ministry, has said that “of course it is necessary, but don’t spend so much money.” That’s a nun’s pinch, Mr. Ocampo, don’t be afraid to say what you think or that Francia Márquez calls you macho. That ministry is an onerous mess because it is going to have public money to spend to the greater glory of the Vice President; and it is destined to become a sectarian instrument because what Mrs. Márquez is installing is a gear with tentacles in all regions to manage her political future. Her primness refusing to talk about her presidential aspirations give her away.
“Now the bureaucratic excessiveness of the new Ministry of Equality is beginning to be understood,” said Juan Camilo Restrepo. “It turns out that from there they will manage the 100,000 young people who today commit crimes in urban gangs and who are paid by the State in a program worth a billion pesos.” If this is the case, it will be the first step towards the creation of a paramilitary structure willing to defend “the achievements of the Government of Change” as is the case in Cuba and Venezuela. Be careful with this.
Francia Márquez knows that Petro is a type of impulses and took the opportunity to set up this manger, before the other regrets having promised him. The montage has a portal of Bethlehem, little shepherds, Three Wise Men and an eastern star: A budget of 87,000 million I heard from Francia Márquez in an interview; 500,000 million assures the former minister Ocampo that they were assigned to him. Who lies? If this last budget item is true, it exceeds that of the ministries of Justice, Science and Technology and Transport. It has five vice ministries, something never seen in the history of the Colombian government bureaucracy. More than 700 officials, including 32 departmental directors. Bad Colombians.