The secret meeting of Petro, Benedetti and representatives to unblock the health reform

The stagnation of the health reform in the House of Representatives plenary, which has already lasted two weeks, caused President Gustavo Petro to call the attention of his allies in that corporation and ask them to move so that the initiative advances. There were even calls for attention.

On Wednesday, the designated Minister of the Interior, Armando Benedetti, and the director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency (Dapre), Angie Rodríguez, summoned their allies to the House of Representatives to seek solutions to the blockade.

For two weeks now, the health reform has not been able to be scheduled in the House due to disagreements within the board of directors. Vice-presidents Jorge Tovar (seats for peace) and Lina María Garrido (Cambio Radical) refuse to sign the agendas that include the Government's initiative.

In three months – counting the legislative recess, which included two weeks of extraordinary sessions – only 30 of the 62 articles approved have been approved. A bitter balance considering that the Government has had the majority in the House.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Historic Pact, the Green Alliance, the peace seats and the Liberal Party, which, although it left the coalition by decision of its director , former president César Gaviria Trujillo, some of its members remain close to the Executive.

For example, Jaime Raúl Salamanca, President of the Chamber, David Racero and Alfredo Mondragón (Historical Pact), Martha Alfonso (Green Alliance) attended.

President Gustavo Petro was not expected to attend the meeting, which took place prior to Wednesday's plenary session, in which the reform was not scheduled. However, the head of state appeared for a few minutes and left his allies with a strong message: the health reform must be unblocked.

The president's criticism focused on the lack of debate and the resistance of the members of the board of directors to schedule the initiative. The President asked that the reform be debated as soon as possible.

Salamanca, who confirmed to EL TIEMPO the meeting with the president, Benedetti and the director of Dapre, assured that it was not a scolding. “ The president gave Benedetti his confidence. He said that the direct dialogue between the Chamber and the Government was through him,” said the president of that corporation.

The agreed strategy to unblock the reform is focused on one thing: convincing Vice President Tovar to sign the agenda that includes the health reform.

This newspaper has learned that talks have already begun between President Salamanca and the First Vice President, so the reform could be scheduled for next week.

And the idea is not far off, as there have been rapprochements between Benedetti and Tovar. EL TIEMPO established that Tovar was at Casa de Nariño on February 13 at 5 pm, meeting with the then Chief of Staff.

Despite these approaches, we will have to wait for the decision of the first vice president, who has been firm in his position of waiting for the Ministry of Health to give answers on the fiscal impact.

The other way is through a motion. This alternative was already used by the Pact, but they were defeated in the plenary session on Monday, February 24. If this resource works, they will have to use it daily, so the Government would have to be strong with its majorities.

However, the opposition is already considering another move, and it was a statement in which they ask the board of directors not to schedule the reform until the orders given by the Court are fulfilled.

Maria Alejandra Gonzalez Duarte