President Gustavo Petro declared the Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry unsubsistent in the midst of the controversial passport tender.
The president of the Republic, Gustavo Petro Urrego, declared the secretary general of the Foreign Ministry, José Antonio Salazar, insubsistentin the context of the bidding process for the issuance of Colombian passports.
The decision, communicated through social networks, was based on an alleged betrayal on the part of Salazar, according to the president’s words: “The Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry has betrayed us. His immediate non-subsistence is signed. Petro also alluded to alleged acts of corruption related to the contract, pointing out the participation of a private company in the monopolization of private data.
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The controversy surrounding the bidding process intensified last Friday, when the Foreign Ministry decided to suspend the opening of the competition due to the numerous observations presented by 19 interested parties on the pre-tenders. This measure was taken to carefully review the more than 550 observations received.
In the same statement issued on February 23, the chancellor (e), Luis Gilberto Murillo, ordered the transfer of responsibility for directing the bidding process of passports, as well as all administrative, budgetary, legal and related procedures, to the General Secretariat.
The dismissal of Salazar and the suspension of the passport tender reflect a moment of great tension in the Colombian Foreign Ministry, as the government seeks to ensure transparency and legality in public contracting processes.
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