BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – Colombian Interior Minister Juan Fernando Cristo resigned on Monday amidst a deepening political crisis within President Gustavo Petro's administration. This turmoil follows Petro's controversial choice of Armando Benedetti as his chief of staff, which has raised concerns among various cabinet members.
In a public resignation letter shared on X, Cristo emphasized his desire to support the 2016 peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia “without limitations.” He cautioned against allowing frustration to lead Colombia back to a time characterized by political and social exclusion, which often generates violence.
The political fallout accelerated last week when two other ministers also resigned in protest of Benedetti's appointment. The ministers voiced their concerns during a televised cabinet meeting, which devolved into intense discussions and emotional confrontations. President Petro subsequently requested all ministers to resign so he could form a new cabinet capable of addressing the country's mounting challenges, including a significant security crisis that has seen more than 50,000 residents in northeast Colombia displaced since January due to escalating fighting among various rebel groups.
Cristo notified President Petro of his resignation plans last Thursday but chose not to comment on Benedetti’s controversial elevation to chief of staff in his letter. The resignations of the environment and culture ministers last week were also directly linked to Benedetti’s appointment; both ministers expressed their unwillingness to collaborate with him during interviews.
Armando Benedetti, a former senator with ties to Colombia's Caribbean region, has a history as a political operator who played a crucial role in fundraising for Petro's 2022 presidential campaign. Despite his political experience, Benedetti has been embroiled in allegations of corruption and has faced accusations of violence against women. Notably, unlike most of Petro's cabinet members who are aligned with leftist parties, Benedetti has a past affiliation with the conservative governing style of Alvaro Uribe.
In a troubling incident in 2023, Colombian news magazine Semana released recordings revealing a fraught conversation between Benedetti and one of Petro's top aides. During the exchange, Benedetti claimed to have garnered nearly $4 million for Petro’s campaign and suggested that these funds might have stemmed from illicit origins. He also implied that he would destabilize the government if not compensated with a cabinet position for his campaign assistance.
As if adding to the chaos, Benedetti was charged with corruption by Colombia’s Supreme Court in a separate case, linked to illegal interference in government contracts for a digital security firm in 2017. Under Petro's administration, Benedetti has held influential positions, including roles as Colombia’s ambassador to Venezuela and to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, a post vacant since 1999.
Benedetti’s tumultuous personal life has also made headlines; his wife lodged a police complaint in Madrid alleging that he had assaulted her and threatened her with a knife, although she later retracted the allegations. Spanish authorities chose not to pursue the case due to Benedetti's diplomatic status at the time.
Within Petro’s cabinet, dissent against Benedetti's influential position has emerged publicly, with some members advocating that he should not occupy such a role in a progressive government. Environment Minister Susana Muhamad explicitly stated during the recent cabinet meeting that, as a feminist and a woman, she could not participate in cabinet discussions alongside the former senator. In response, President Petro defended Benedetti, arguing for the necessity of second chances and accusing his critics of being "sectarian" and resistant to forming political coalitions.
