Former senator Armando Benedetti has one of the highest salaries in dollar terms of any Colombian ambassador abroad, while he served in the United States for nearly nine months. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
The scandal not only cost the elusive political leader the embassy, but he will face several summons before the authorities. such as the National Electoral Council, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Office of the Prosecutor, among others.
This is without mentioning the economic loss, because according to the Colombian regulations in effect from 2004 to the present, The salary of the Colombian ambassador in the neighboring country is $8,000, or about 34 million Colombian pesos.
This pay is even higher than what Vice President Francia Márquez currently has, who was left with a $ salary after the increase agreed by the government.
Also, the assignment It’s not far from the United States, which is the top dollar of all diplomatic missions.
The Colombian ambassador in that country earns US$10,000 (more than 42 million pesos). The same amount was received by the UN ambassadors in New York and the OAS in Washington. (See the decree regulating the duties of ambassadors in the country).
The salary that Benedetti received until recently, and that the new ambassador Milton Renkfo will now receive, is much higher than the salary of ambassadors such as Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, who earn the least dollar. Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, With an allocation of US$ 5,500 (approximately 23 million pesos).
Armando Benedetti released his income statement and conflict of interest statement on 22 August last year, shortly before he took office, as a matter of necessity among senior officials. However, he presented the one for 2020, not the one for 2021.
In, former congressman It reported a net worth of $1,370,842,000 as a result of $2,227,984,000 gross equity, minus liabilities of $857,142,000.
Read here: Will the reforms of the Petro government collapse after the Armando Benedetti scandal?
His income as stated that year was 435,738,000 pesos, all for salary, and he reported it as inheritance. Real estate worth 2.227 million pesos in Bogotá.
According to the publicly disclosed documents, he recorded neither any conflict of interest to hold the position nor any family members who had a contract with the State.
RAFAEL QUINTERO CERON
Publisher Data Unit EL TIEMPO
Source: Exame
