A new corruption scandal in Colombia will further weaken the government's ability to pass structural reforms, while increasing the risk of political volatility and social unrest. On May 6, Colombia's government announced the resignation of regional development adviser Sandra Ortiz amid a corruption scandal involving the alleged embezzlement of disaster relief funds. That same day, two prominent members of the Alianza Verde (AV) party, which supports President Gustavo Petro in parliament, announced their exit from the party over the same issue. The scandal started on May 3, when two senior members of Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) denounced that the institution had been using disaster funds to bribe members of Colombia's congress to support legislation promoted by Petro's administration. According to these individuals, the lawmakers that received these bribes include the president of the Senate, Ivan Name, and the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Andres Calle...
