Alejandro Gaviria again denied disclosing the ‘letter of contention’ over health reform

At the launch of his latest book I don’t expect to take this trip, Former Minister of Education, Alejandro Gaviria, took a few minutes to talk about his departure from the government of Gustavo Petro. Although he didn’t reveal many details, he did talk about the president’s decision to ask for his resignation and the lunch they had on February 28, during which, according to Gaviria, they did not discuss of his departure from the national government.

“It was a lunch because we both had lunch together. Cordial and kind. We do not examine the causes of my departure. We talked about the reforms in general, the health reform a little and this who is coming for the country. I made a comment to him about the need to take into account the middle classes, those who care about the country and who have something to lose. He gave a long presentation of a study that had just come out on climate change issues, but it was a conversation,” Gaviria said.

The former minister, who did not give more details about the lunch, also mentioned the reasons for his departure, which he says he does not know:

“I don’t know, it’s very difficult to speculate. It is the presidential jurisdiction. The country knew my views on health reform and it was controversial. I don’t know what is the direct or indirect relationship with the subject, but let’s leave it there. I will enjoy these moments of greater tranquility.

Faced with the rumor that it was he who leaked to the media the letter in which, together with the Ministers of Education, Finance, Agriculture and the Director of Planning, they set out their objections to the reform of the health and warn that she will not pass constitutional or financial examination, Gaviria clarified that it was not him:

“I think the opinion of reporters who knew the document firsthand was clear and they’re not going to reveal their source, they can’t, but they were clear that I didn’t release the document. I think that’s a good clarification, because I never did.

He also referred to former Minister Gaviria for health reform, emphasizing the risk that the installed capacity that the health system has built over the past 30 years will be destroyed:

“The country has been accumulating capabilities for 30 years, capabilities that are very important and cannot be destroyed. I think that has generally been my most adamant opinion on the matter. Do not destroy the capacity that, as a country, has been built with effort”.

Also present at the book launch was former Vice President Germán Vargas Lleras, with whom he was a teammate in the government of Juan Manuel Santos, who reproached him for withdrawing from the rectory of the Universidad de los Andes to run for the Presidency. of the Republic. The former minister dismissed the comment saying that “Revisiting your own life is complicated. I learned a lot. I do not share the opinion. I think my time in politics has been rewarding. I decided to put into practice what I have always preached about the importance in any democracy of partial agreements of people who think differently”.

At the end of the release I don’t expect to take this tripFormer Minister Gaviria said he will dedicate the next few months to his family and writing a new book, for which he already has a title:

“I already have a title, it will be called: controlled explosion”.