LatinNews Daily - 10 February 2025

*Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro has requested the resignation of his ministerial cabinet, as the fallout continues regarding a chaotic cabinet meeting that was broadcast live on 4 February. Petro wrote on social media that he has “formally requested the resignation of ministers and directors of administrative departments”. He added that “there will be some changes in the cabinet to achieve greater fulfilment of the manifesto that was mandated by the people” and said that “the government will be totally focused on delivering that agenda”. The environment minister, Susana Muhamad, who had clashed with Petro during the cabinet meeting, resigned several hours before Petro made this announcement, telling the news site Los Danieles that she stood by what she had said in the meeting and that Petro “obviously needs to reorganise the whole cabinet with the resignation of the other ministers”. Other ministers later resigned following Petro’s announcement, including the mining and energy minister, Andrés Camacho; the labour minister, Gloria Inés Ramírez; and the foreign minister, Laura Sarabia, whose recent appointment was deeply opposed by many in the cabinet. A further three senior officials had already resigned prior to Petro’s request – the culture minister, Juan David Correa; the director of the administrative department of the presidency (Dapre), Jorge Rojas; and the director of the disaster risk management unit (UNGRD), Carlos Carrillo.