The High Commissioner for Peace of Colombia, Miguel Ceballos (left), during a meeting with the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores, in Bogotá Press High Commissioner for the / Press High Commissioner for the
Iván Duque has lost another member of his cabinet this Saturday amid the protests that have already lasted for more than three weeks and leave fifty dead in Colombia. This time it was the turn of the High Commissioner for Peace, Miguel Ceballos, a man close to the president and who during the last week began negotiations with the strike committee. “I told the President of the Republic that I was going to leave the Government since December of last year, specifically on December 22, and I reiterated that will on May 3 of this year, the date on which I formalized that decision to leave. as of May 26, officially mentioning to the President that my last day in the Palace would be May 25, "he said in an interview to the newspaper
El Tiempo.
.
He is the third official to resign amid the protests, following the resignations of the finance minister and the chancellor.
And although he assured that his departure was due to personal reasons, he revealed his annoyance at an interference by former president Álvaro Uribe, Iván Duque's political godfather, in the work of his position.
“I feel uncomfortable with former President Uribe.
On two occasions, unfortunately, I was not consulted by the former president for contacts that he and his representatives had with the ELN, ”Ceballos said in the interview.
The government of Iván Duque closed the possibility of a negotiated solution with the National Liberation Army, the last active guerrilla in Colombia, since that group attacked a cadet school and left 22 dead in January 2019. Publicly, Uribe has He has been a staunch opponent of dialogue, but in recent days it was learned that the former president participated in contacts with representatives of that guerrilla. The High Commissioner was not informed. "Former President Uribe ignored me," he said in the interview. Later one of the ex-combatants with whom Uribe met was delegated as peace manager.
The commissioner not only expressed his annoyance over these contacts, but also assured that the country could not continue between the positions of Álvaro Uribe and the opposition and former presidential candidate, Gustavo Petro. “I think the country deserves more balance. I feel that both have been irresponsible in putting pressure on this government and Congress so that the currency leans more towards their side, ”added Ceballos, although he insisted that it is not about Uribe co-governing.
Ceballos's words come at a time when the relationship between the former president and the president is undergoing public tension.
Uribe has questioned some decisions of his political godson such as the failed tax reform, the handling of protests or his way of communicating.
"Let's not add another mistake: the delay in making decisions," he trilled a few days ago.
Members of the ruling party fear that the bad image of the president will drag them down for the 2022 elections.
Uribe expressed himself through his Twitter account: "Dr. Miguel Ceballos is a very good person, what am I going to answer him because I have so many enemies, bad people," the ex-president published.
At the moment, President Iván Duque has not commented on Ceballos's resignation and it is not clear who will continue to lead the negotiations with the strike committee.
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