In February,
President Petro presented his
controversial health
reform to lawmakers which his
government says will improve primary
care, expand access to treatment, raise healthcare worker salaries and fight corruption. The
central part of his plan is to do away with the so called Empresa Promotora de Salud (EPS) - insurers that link
patients to a network of health providers.
generated by casinos and bingos, 32 per cent by online betting platforms, 15 per cent by lottery game Super Astro and 6.7 per cent by the Baloto y Revancha game.
HEALTH REFORM AND COLJUEGOS
Gustavo Petro, a leftist leader who had previously served as mayor of Bogotá, took office in 2022 with the support of voters frustrated by rising poverty and violence. An economist and former member of Colombia's M-19 guerrilla group who fought Colombian governments for years before serving in its House and Senate and as mayor of Bogota, Petro beat populist business tycoon and fellow political outsider Rodolfo Hernández in a presidential runoff with 50.5 per cent of the vote.
Colombia’s economy grew at 7.5 per cent year-on-year in 2022 - one of the fastest rates among emerging economies. However the economy is slowing and Petro’s popularity is waning. His “Pacto Histórico por Colombia” (Historic Pact for Colombia) coalition holds a simple majority in Congress. His allies are already disagreeing with his major policies over health care, pension reform and his ambitious plans to forge peace with
Colombia’s armed group Paz Total (Total Peace) plan.
Because gambling plays such a vital role in raising revenue for the Colombian health service the industry is in danger of becoming part of a much larger political struggle as the newly elected president looks to impose his own vision on health care overall.
In February, President Petro presented his controversial health reform to lawmakers which his government says will improve primary care, expand access to treatment, raise healthcare worker salaries and fight corruption. Te central part of his plan is to do away with the so called Empresa Promotora de Salud (EPS) - insurers that link patients to a network of health providers. EPSs are often embroiled in corruption scandals, or declare themselves bankrupt. Te function of EPSs would be handed over to the state under the President’s plans.
However, he has struggled to push these reforms through and his plans to create a more state controlled system have been met with opposition from members of his own cabinet who have warned that his health reform measures will be too costly. Tis led to a cabinet reshuffle in March. Te coalition has supported some of his measures but is far more split when it comes to healthcare reform.
Te battle over healthcare reform is by no means over yet and is expected to be brought to a House committee in May. In April the president asked for the resignation of vice ministers, affiliated with the El Partido de la Unión por la Gente (U), Liberal and Conservative parties due to their failure to support his health reform bill. Amongst them was Roger Carrillo, a member of the Conservative party, who was only put in charge of Coljuegos in March this year.
Carrillo was a controversial choice as according to local press it is alleged that he posed as another politician called Roberto Pérez, who was a competitor for the same post. Press reports say that Carrillo pretended to be Pérez and criticized the government in a statement in an alleged effort to get him out of the way in the fight for the coveted position. Carrillo was nominated for the position by the president of the Conservative Party, Efraín Cepeda.
WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS P43
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