Decades of secret emails, letters, and business proposals from Eva Ferrer, former reconciliation counselor and close associate of ex-First Lady Verónica Alcocer, were revealed by the magazine SEMANA. ^[1] Álvaro Molina, chef and author of this column, states that Colombia's recent labor reforms, including the reduction of the workweek to 42 hours and the addition of night and Sunday surcharges, have created a difficult landscape for the restaurant industry. ^[2] Eva Ferrer sent a private letter to President Gustavo Petro in late October 2023 detailing her resignation from the reconciliation council after Manel Grau, a business partner of Alcocer, demanded she step down to protect her reputation. ^[3] Ferrer proposed sponsorship deals to state-owned companies, including an initial offer of 8,260 million pesos to Ecopetrol and requests for 6,000 million pesos per company from the Grupo Bicentenario, which comprises 13 companies. ^[4] In a document dated July 2024, Eva Ferrer itemized unpaid fees, taxes, and a loan for the presidential inauguration totaling 663,068,267 pesos, claiming she worked for 11 months before her appointment but was only paid for seven. ^[5] Álvaro Molina recalls his microeconomics professor Alfonso Prada, who insisted that general well-being should prevail over particular interests, and argues that labor stability depends on business stability, and that bankrupt entrepreneurs mean more unemployed. ^[6] Álvaro Molina states that in Medellín, restaurant rents often exceed 25-30 million Colombian pesos per month, and in Llanogrande they are even higher, while small locations or 'bubbles' pay between 4 and 10 million and food courts between 12 and 20 million. ^[7] Álvaro Molina states that the cost of ingredients for a dish typically ranges from 7% to 35% of the price depending on the business, and that rent should ideally be around 10% of sales. ^[8]