Petro Seeks to Distance Himself From Colombian Graft Scandal

(Bloomberg) -- Colombian President Gustavo Petro said the nation’s institutions suffer from “structural corruption” as he tried to distance himself from a recent bribery scandal involving allies.

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Petro, who is trying to overhaul Colombia’s conservative economic model, became a household name two decades ago when he led a series of anti-corruption investigations in congress.

“Being on the left is not a vaccine against corruption, it is in all parties and in all corners,” Petro said in a televised address. “Our job and our duty is to fight against it”.

Former officials at the government’s disaster prevention agency said they siphoned off funds intended to provide drinking water to a poverty-stricken desert region, to bribe members of congress to vote for Petro’s reforms. All government officials close to Petro and lawmakers accused in the scandal have denied wrongdoing.

According to a note from the political research center Teneo, the graft scandal could make it harder for the government to get its pension reform through congress.

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