'The Hague Group is going to ask us for military presence to stop the genocide in Gaza': President Petro at new Cabinet meeting

After his speech on the health system's debts, President Gustavo Petro led a new cabinet meeting on Tuesday, July 15, focused on defining the general budget for 2026. During the session, he stated that The Hague Group will request Colombia to establish a military presence in Gaza.

The session began with a presentation by Finance Minister Germán Ávila, who presented a preliminary outline of the main items to be included.

The president interrupted the minister's speech and harshly criticized the government's economists, accusing them of "not learning." He also questioned his own cabinet for proposing a reduction in social spending in the 2026 budget.

“ No, I cannot spend my last year in office with people who don't understand the government's program and don't implement it. The government cannot allow the people to be mocked. There is no rule or law that can oppose the will of the people. The democratic foundation is the popular vote for the presidency, but the cabinet is doing the opposite, and the last cabinet of the 'Government of Change' cannot do that, so I announce that I am going to remove them,” he said.

In this context, he noted that the changes in his cabinet respond to the need to have officials committed to implementing the government's program.

"Uribe supporters and non-Uribe supporters have deceived us, so it's not because of political affiliation. If there's a Uribe supporter working here, they should be rewarded, because they're a public servant first and foremost. And the woman had all the information, and since she was in the Office of the Chief of Staff, they swept her away, and now no one has the information," the president stated, in a statement that could be interpreted as an allusion to Laura Sarabia.

Furthermore, the president claimed that several former ministers in his cabinet betrayed him. "Many ministers betrayed me, betrayed the popular mandate, and are taking resources to big capital," he said.

The president's criticism focused on Minister Ávila's decision to reduce social spending in the 2026 budget . "That's unconstitutional, Germán. That can't be the case. The president won't sign a bill that reduces social spending," he stated.

Later, the president blamed the finance ministers who have served in his administration—José Antonio Ocampo, Ricardo Bonilla, and Diego Guevara—for the current cash flow problems.

He then added: “In the Planning data, all sectors have reduced their budgets compared to this year. This is called the death of Colombia. And yes, we are partly to blame, but because they overturned our laws. There is lawfare ; there are judges who make decisions not based on law, but on politics,” the president stated.

He also questioned the Minister of Mines, Edwin Palma, for—he said—not funding the energy transition and instead allocating resources to subsidize fossil fuels. "How are they going to make me sign that? 13 percent to finance fossil fuels?" the president asked.

In one of his remarks, the president referred to the Hague Group summit, being held in Bogotá with the participation of delegations from Bolivia, Cuba, South Africa, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal, Honduras, and Colombia. The summit is focused on analyzing measures to halt Israel's military offensive against the civilian population in Gaza.

"We created The Hague Group here in Bogotá, which is even going to ask us for a military presence to stop the genocide. Interesting topic, Foreign Minister," the president stated.

He also hinted that some officials in his own government were not complying with the order not to export coal to Israel.

Referring to the decree that strips the Council of State of exclusive jurisdiction to hear lawsuits against him, the president stated: "So, prohibiting judges from supervising, for or against, any citizen who wants to supervise the president... So, what kind of democracy? Is this a monarchy? The Constitution mandates that, and if they're going to overturn that decree, we have to fight it, with all our might."

He added: "Any citizen, from any place, of any economic status, can file a lawsuit if they believe their fundamental rights are being violated. I'm not an aristocrat; we're Republicans and Democrats."

In another part of his address at the meeting, President Petro stated that during his term, the mortality rate from malnutrition in children under 5 years of age has been reduced by half.

"It is the government of life, and it must continue to be the government of life," he said.

CAMILO A. CASTILLOPolitical EditorX: (@camiloandres894)