Politician fired after admitting he has no idea how to do his job

Mayor Federico “Fico” Gutierrez (right) reportedly chose Manuel Cordova for the role, despite knowing that he does not have the appropriate qualifications. Photo: @CHURIJO/TWITTER

A Colombian politician who admitted he had “no idea” how to do his job and was hired despite lacking the relevant qualifications has been forced to resign.

< p>Manuel Cordova, the cultural director of the city of Medellin, was filmed telling an audience at a public event: “I don’t know what a registry is or what a library is, none of that, and I’m not ashamed to say it.”

< p>Mayor Federico “Fico” Gutierrez chose him for the role despite knowing he had no experience in cultural matters, Mr. Cordova said in the video.

“Fico told me: “I have a mandate from the citizens of Medellin, 700,000 votes. Manolito, come here and solve this headache for me. I know sometimes you have no idea about cultural issues,” Mr. Cordova said in a video that has since gone viral.

This is a degradation in art and culture, @FicoGutierrez, whom I wanted to convince that he is a DJ and a person, calls the personality q ademas de no tener conocimientos for the load, es un imbecil es un descarado. I know this is a library. pic.twitter.com/O3lcR5l1Mj

— Jacobo Solano Cerchiaro (@JACOBOSOLANOC) February 14, 2024

Mr Cordova explained that he accepted the offer because he was “fascinated” by the idea of ​​parachuting into an unknown territory, concluding: “That’s why they’re not going to shoot me down; I can say whatever I want.”

Mr Gutierrez, who unsuccessfully ran for Colombia's presidency in 2022 and is serving his second term as mayor of Medellin, was not surprised and has since forced his colleague to resign.

He said Mr. Cordova's proposal was chosen out of a sense of «responsibility to the oppressed cultural sector of Medellin,» Colombia's second-largest city with a population of 2.7 million.

Federico Gutierrez ran for president of Colombia in 2022. Photo: CRISTIAN BAYONA/LONG VISUAL PRESS/ALAMY

Medellin has tried to restore its reputation as a city of peace and culture after the notoriety it received. due to the criminal behavior of Pablo Escobar and his cartel in the 1980s and early 90s.

The city's network of 36 libraries has won awards for integrating marginalized neighborhoods through cultural activities.

On Wednesday, Mr. Cordova posted a letter on social media apologizing for his comments, which he said “had nothing to do with any instructions or conversation with Mayor Federico Gutierrez.”