Former DIAN director and presidential precandidate Luis Carlos Reyes criticized Colombia's fiscal crisis and proposed precise state spending reductions, targeting contraband and illicit economies. In an interview with LA NACIÓN, he emphasized applying existing regulations instead of new taxes. He also questioned the 'Total Peace' policy and called for bolstering security and political transparency ahead of the 2026 elections.
Luis Carlos Reyes, former DIAN director and Commerce Minister under Gustavo Petro's government, shared his views on Colombia's challenges in an interview with LA NACIÓN. As a presidential precandidate for 2026, Reyes acknowledged the need for fiscal adjustment but insisted it should be 'with a scalpel' to avoid harming essential social spending. 'The fiscal adjustment requires a cut with a scalpel,' he stated, proposing to eliminate state redundancies and prioritize efficiency.
On the fiscal crisis, Reyes noted that in 2023, during his DIAN tenure, the highest tax collection in history was achieved, but expenses grew faster. He criticized the Finance Ministry for inflating revenue projections to justify budget increases. He recommended submitting a programmatic and regionalized budget to Congress with greater transparency to prevent corrupt diversions. Instead of new taxes via economic emergency, he urged enforcing existing rules and pursuing evaders and smugglers, who cause losses of up to 6 GDP points.
Regarding security, Reyes advocated strengthening the Armed Forces with equipment, air support, and logistics, alongside robust intelligence. He emphasized gaining population trust in excluded regions by delivering state services to counter armed groups. He deemed 'Total Peace' a failure for treating criminals as political actors, leading to an explosion of illegal groups in areas like Huila. 'We have to abandon the idea that we negotiate with criminals,' he said.
On the 2026 elections, Reyes viewed current options as unsatisfactory: candidates seeking to reverse post-2022 changes and the official candidacy lacking self-criticism for concessions to corrupt figures. He proposed 'fair play' as the core of his campaign, based on transparency and honesty. On polls favoring Iván Cepeda and Abelardo De la Espriella, he considered it premature and stressed the need for proposals reflecting citizens' desires. To Huilenses, he sent a message of building trust through commitment to fair play, transforming institutions.
