Colombian government in crisis over wiretapping scandal.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro's administration is in crisis after a scandal involving his chief of staff and the Colombian ambassador to Venezuela. The scandal began with allegations of illegal wiretapping and stolen cash, and escalated with the publication of expletive-laden audio messages in which the former ambassador threatened to reveal incriminating evidence about Petro's presidential campaign. The scandal has halted debates on the administration's proposed social reforms and attracted scrutiny for other signs of instability. Petro's popularity has slumped, and analysts speculate that his broad ambitions for political change will be harder to achieve because of the scandal.