President Petro says he is willing to testify in court regarding corruption at UNGRD and launches accusations against Name
In recent hours, President Gustavo Petro stated that he is willing to testify before the Supreme Court of Justice regarding the corruption case involving the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD).
The Colombian president, in a message on his X account, denied having bribed Iván Name, the former president of the Senate who was captured: "I am willing to declare these facts before the Supreme Court of Justice."
Iván Name is reviewed in La Picota. Photo: Courtesy
With this in mind, the head of state launched an accusation against the senator for, according to him, having "shelved the pension reform for seven months so that it would sink over time."
Likewise, President Petro stated that, once the reform passed to the House of Representatives—with little time to reconcile the texts— he himself asked his party to approve the Senate's text , in order to avoid further blockages or impediments to the reform's progress.
"Once it passed to the Chamber, after Name shelved it for seven months, and without time for reconciliation, a process that is imposed if the texts of the bills are different between the chambers; I myself asked my bench to debate the reform in the plenary session of the Chamber , but to approve the Senate text, so that Name, who had only two days to appoint a conciliation committee, would not sink it, simply by not appointing it," explained President Petro.
Ivan Name and Petro . Photo: Nestor Gomez. EL TIEMPO / Presidency
Likewise, the head of state responded to various versions or rumors accusing him of having bribed the Green Alliance senator to get the reform approved : "If Name had been bribed by me, as they say, the pension reform would not have been shelved for seven months."
"I succeeded in my request to have the same Senate text approved in the House, which immediately became law. Reconciliation was no longer required, and the pension reform was saved. The House didn't give Name the opportunity to defeat it; they challenged this fact before the Constitutional Court, claiming that the House didn't debate it, which is untrue, " the Colombian president maintained.
Name upon arrival at La Picota Penitentiary. Photo: Courtesy
On the other hand, President Gustavo Petro also accused Name of using his position to provide benefits: " Look at the theft of the treasury administered by my government, which he virulently opposed, as an action to finance his daughter's campaign. Just look at the dates, both of his daughter's campaign and the seven months of shelving the reform."
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