The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, this Thursday added a new controversy after it became known that will make a cameo in a publicly funded film in which the Oscar-winning American actor, Cuba Googing Jr. will also participate. The production cost about 4 million dollarsof which at least half were provided by the State.
It all arose from a photo from the shoot that quickly went viral on social networks. In it the president is seen next to the «Men of Honor» actor, both dressed in period costumes. After the image spread, it was learned that Petro will make his film debut with a small cameo in a film that portrays the life of José Prudencio Padillaan independence hero of the 19th century.
The versions were confirmed by Petro himself through his networks. He shortcutted himself by explaining that he only appears «3 seconds» and hoped that his cameo «will bring more viewers to see the film.»
However, the greatest controversy arose after it was learned that The film will have a budget of 15 billion of Colombian pesos (about four million dollars), of which at least half will come from the Colombian public treasury and in the framework of a Colombia traversed by a context of fiscal deficit to which is added the declaration of economic emergency that Petro issued after the recent floods in several areas of the country.
Far from denying the criticism, the Government came out to justify the expense and making of the film. On his
This is the photo. How about defunding art because I appear for 3 seconds in this scene, still a lot of brutality. https://t.co/SiWyrGrnWv pic.twitter.com/HEy0DAPEhD
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) March 5, 2026
In a subsequent publication, the president maintained that «the country needs money to develop its art, its culture, its education.» «We don’t need money for money’s sake,» he also assured from his X account.
Later in the same post, he doubled down and stated that «art needs much more funding from the state, because art is the only thing that artificial intelligence cannot do and it is what makes us humanity.» «Anyone who believes that the State should not finance the art and culture of Colombia demonstrates nothing more than aberrant ignorance,» he added.
Carina Murcia YelaMinister of Information and Communication Technologies of Colombia, came out to respond to the first versions, which said that the film had been financed entirely by the Colombian government.
«The Government did NOT invest $15,000 million in this production,» he tried to clarify, but acknowledged that the investment from the Single ICT Fund (Information and Communications Technologies) was $8,104 million. That is, more than half of the cost was financed by public funds. His words did not serve to quell the controversy.
The rest of the budget, he explained, did come from «resources provided by the production company Valencia Producciones that participates in the project.»
Yela justified that the film is «a bet for Colombia’s positioning in the audiovisual industry» and highlighted that «there are already different high-quality productions financed by FUTIC since 2014 and that have managed to reach different screens.» «The film of the life of Admiral Padilla does not have to be the exception,» he noted.
Today, in the midst of a series of events that are related to misinformation around a film that has not yet been released on the big screens, as we dreamed, and that strengthens public television, as has been the mission of the @Ministerio_TICas leader of…
— Carina Murcia Yela (@CarinaMurciaY) March 5, 2026
On the other hand, the manager of the Colombian Public Media System, Hollman Morris, defended the film, recalling other Colombian productions that had also been financed with public money.
«Of course these productions are made with public resources and they are an investment in culture, not an expense. Or do you think that private capital is betting on these productions of people from history over drug series or action movies for the most part?» he expressed through his X account.
Morris also indicated that the film will be released in August 2026, after Petro has fulfilled his mandate and insisted that the president will only make a cameo.
«He does not act, it is a fleeting image that appears at a dance next to Cuba Jr.,» he said about the film, which will be in English and Spanish, according to local media.
Admiral Padilla, whose life the film portrays, was a key figure in the wars of independence. He became a senator, stood up to the Spanish and helped expel them from the coasts of what was then Gran Colombia.
