This is CBS, I on the World, The New World Report.

I'm John Batson.

Professor Evan Ellis, U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute, is here.

Colombia, the strong ally of the United States through the 20th century and into the 21st.

But now, the headline out of London.

Colombia government chaos deepens as finance minister quits.

President Gustavo Petro reads the subhead, loses his 13th minister this year with

departure of Diego Guevara.

Gustavo Petro is important here to emphasize that he is a man who was elected very popularly,

and then his approval rating has continued to decline.

All the problems he inherited from the border with Venezuela to an economy that is somewhere between capitalism and socialism

and to the challenges to his history of being sympathetic to narco-terrorism or violence in his youth.

But there are continuing negotiations between the government and narco-terror gangs in Colombia and outside of Colombia.

And there was always the report of increased production of cocaine moving into Venezuela or from Venezuela. Either way works.

But Colombia is attached to Panama, so that's why I go there. And, Professor, it appears that this is a

governmental problem, but the approval writing suggests the whole country

is regretful of Gustavo Petro. Is there a way to characterize his presidency that has led to

this sad state? Unfortunately, the best way to characterize this presidency is probably chaos.

And there are reinforcing interactions between things that are happening in the

Colombian economy and security situation and frankly the problematic leadership thus far

of the president, which really reflects a continuation of his leadership style, even back

when he was the mayor of Bogota, and you saw it at a smaller scale there.

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