Former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez challenged President Gustavo Petro's claims on higher education progress, stated in an interview with content creator Westcol. Uribe shared contrasting data on enrollment and subsidies via X. Petro replied with a graph showing increased investment.
Former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez publicly criticized Gustavo Petro's statements in a recent interview with content creator Westcol. Petro claimed that “400,000 new young people are in universities, studying for free.” Uribe called this a “lie” and posted a comparative chart with official figures.
Uribe stated that real new entries into public higher education total 190,000 students, far short of the 500,000 slots in the National Development Plan. He noted new spaces across technical, technological, and university levels at just 57,930. On gratuidad, he highlighted a net increase of 203,000 beneficiaries, from 727,000 at the end of Iván Duque's term to 930,000 now.
On infrastructure, Uribe disputed the promise of 100 new universities, saying it amounted to 42 physical improvement projects, with only eight completed. For Icetex, he said announced debt condonations have not materialized, with subsidies cut 74% and new credits dropping over 80% from 2024 to 2025.
Petro replied on social media with a graph showing $7.49 trillion in higher education investment, compared to $0.72 trillion under the previous government.