It’s no secret that Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been struggling. His ambitious domestic agenda has stalled, and his approval ratings have plummeted. But no one could have anticipated the wild new series of scandals that emerged in the past week to threaten his presidency in such spectacular fashion.
The series of explosive revelations involve the closest of Petro’s political allies, who have now turned against each other, severely undercutting the president’s standing in the process.
On Friday, Petro fired two members of the innermost ring of his inner circle, his chief of staff, Laura Sarabia, and Colombia’s ambassador to Venezuela, Armando Benedetti. Both were among the most prominent figures in his electoral campaign and had played key roles in the first year of his administration.