Luis Gilberto Murillo, Colombia’s present Overseas Minister, introduced his resignation on January 20, after which former Chief of Workers Laura Sarabia was named as his successor. Sarabia has been concerned within the three largest corruption scandals of the present authorities.
“Within the midst of agreements and disagreements, we demonstrated that, when dialogue and consensus-building are prioritized, it’s potential to maneuver in direction of a greater nation,” Murillo stated in a publish asserting his resignation on X.
Sarabia’s appointment is anticipated to result in the resignation or elimination of the Colombian ambassadors in Brazil, the UK, Argentina and Nicaragua, according to Colombian radio station W Radio.
Hypothesis about Murillo’s resignation had grown since October 2024, with sources confirming that he supposed to resign to have the ability to run within the 2026 presidential elections.
Picture Supply: Laura Sarbia through X
Murillo additionally ran in 2022 because the vice presidential candidate for Sergio Fajardo, a politician from the political middle, who misplaced to present President Gustavo Petro.
This shall be Sarabia’s fourth position within the Petro authorities. The incoming minister first labored because the president’s Chief of Workers till June 2023’s so-called “nannygate” scandal. Months after her elimination from the federal government because of the scandal, she was named as director of the federal government’s Social Prosperity Division.
In February 2024, she was additionally named the Director of the President’s Administrative Division (DAPRE), a place she resigned from in January to imagine the Minister place.
The “nannygate” scandal
In Might 2024, whereas Sarabia labored because the President’s Chief of Workers, Colombian information journal Semana published a criticism from Marelbys Meza, Sarabia’s household nanny. Meza alleged that she was pressured to take a polygraph take a look at after she was accused of stealing a cash-filled briefcase from Sarabia’s home.
Meza additionally defined that the pressured polygraph had occurred within the basement of Colombia’s presidential residence, the Casa de Nariño, and that she was informed the briefcase held 150 million Colombian pesos (roughly USD $35,000).
“After I was in that basement I felt kidnapped, shocked, suffocated whereas ready for the polygraph,” she told Semana on the time.
Why Sarabia had a briefcase with a lot cash was questioned by Colombian media. Primarily based on her tax return paperwork and her wage as a authorities worker, she would have needed to get $105 million COP between August 2022 and January 2023 whereas underneath a $15 million COP per thirty days contract.
In response to the hypothesis, Sarabia stated that the briefcase held “not more than $7,000 USD, similar to the compensation of journey bills from official journeys between August 2022 to January 2023.”
Picture Supply: Inventive Commons Licenses
Regardless, the alleged human rights violations that Meza denounced, which included intimidation by the police and authorities employees, unlawful vigilance in direction of her and her household, the unlawful wiretapping of her telephone, and kidnapping, prompted an investigation by Colombia’s Prosecutor’s Workplace.
Explaining that her presence within the authorities couldn’t be seen as a chance for abuses of energy within the investigation, President Petro announced in June 2023 that Sarabia can be stepping down from her function as Chief of Workers.
“I’ve peace of thoughts in figuring out that I acted accurately, with integrity and with none explicit curiosity,” Sarabia stated on the time.
Despite assuring media shops that she wouldn’t be taking up any extra public positions following the scandal, she was sworn in because the president of the Social Prosperity Division in September 2023, three months after her preliminary withdrawal from the federal government.
Leaked voice messages and alleged corruption
In the identical week as Sarabia resigned from her Chief of Workers place, Semana additionally printed presumably leaked voice messages from then-ambassador to Venezuela Armando Benedetti to Sarabia on June 5, 2023, by which he spoke of corruption throughout Petro’s 2022 presidential marketing campaign.
In response to Semana, the altercation occurred after Benedetti was jilted by President Petro after requesting a gathering with him.
Picture Supply: Presidencia de Colombia
Within the audios, Benedetti claims that he spent $15 billion COP (USD $3.4 million) in bribes to ensure Petro’s 2022 elections, and retaliated in opposition to Sarabia for allegedly gatekeeping the President’s consideration and energy.
The previous ambassador, nonetheless, claimed that the leaked messages had been altered, and apologized to President Petro and Sarabia for his aggressive phrases.
“Laura has been dealing with huge strain, a scenario which I used to be unaware of. She should have suffered so much because of this,” President Petro stated on the time.
In June 2024, one other alleged corruption case involving Sarabia was denounced by journalist María Jimena Duzán, who claimed on her podcast that the incoming minister’s brother frequents the Casa de Nariño as a strong lobbyist.
Picture Supply: Mónica Saade through X
According to Duzán, Andrés Sarabia, Laura’s brother, personally advantages from authorities dealings. As Duzán alleges, certainly one of these advantages is a 30% fee imposed on all contractors who do enterprise with the state.
“I don’t perceive why a president like Gustavo Petro, who vowed to finish corruption, would permit essentially the most highly effective girl within the state to have her brother working as a lobbyist,” Duzán stated.
In a statement, Sarabia denied all of Duzán’s allegations, explaining that the journalist’s sources may need been working in unhealthy religion to tarnish her and her household’s picture.
Reactions to Overseas Minister Sarabia
Since president Petro’s announcement about Sarabia’s new place, former diplomats and workers of the Overseas Ministry have inspired their colleagues to signal a letter, with the intention of delivering it to the president. In it, the signatories categorical their “deep fear and protest earlier than the naming of Laura Sarabia as Overseas Minister.”
“This designation violates the elemental rules of transparency, benefit and professionalism that represent the train and management of the nation’s overseas coverage, and represents an insult to the rules and which means of the Diplomatic and Consular Profession,” the letter adds.
Equally, Senator Paola Holguín from the Democratic Middle opposition celebration, questioned Sarabia’s capability to handle and lead Colombia’s relations with different States, noting that she doesn’t have earlier expertise working for the Overseas Ministry.
Sarabia is ready to start her work as Overseas Minister on February 1, after finishing a two-week handover course of with Murillo.
