Colombian minister under fire over beach holiday post-quake
BOGOTA - Colombia’s new housing minister has come under fire after it emerged that he took his family on a Caribbean holiday while the country was reeling from a devastating earthquake that left thousands homeless.
The Aug 10 earthquake, which killed nearly 300 people in western Colombia, struck just three days after right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella took office.
The 7.4-magnitude tremor was the most powerful in Colombia in nearly half a century.
Over the weekend, photos and videos emerged of Housing Minister Jaime Andres Beltran relaxing on a beach in the Caribbean city of Santa Marta.
The left-wing opposition said it would bring a motion of no confidence in the minister for taking leave at such a critical time.
Nearly 27,000 homes were destroyed in the quake and many survivors are now sleeping in the open, on mattresses or makeshift beds.
The minister on Aug 17 attempted to swat away the criticism of his trip, writing on X that he was “not on holiday” but merely “sharing a few hours with my wife and children, whom I had not seen for days” and had “immediately” afterwards resumed work on post-quake reconstruction.
A week after the disaster, hopes of finding any survivors under the rubble have dwindled.
The focus has shifted to the emerging humanitarian crisis on the streets of Cali, Pereira and other quake-hit areas, which have been transformed into open-air refugee camps.
On Aug 17, pop superstar Shakira, who hails from Colombia, arrived in the department of Choco, which was the epicentre of the quake.
Accompanied by American billionaire Howard Buffett, she visited some of the 40 schools destroyed in the disaster, walking past broken desks and windows, and collapsed walls.
The “Whenever, Wherever” singer vowed to rebuild 10 schools, and said she has raised an initial contribution of US$1 million (S$1.28 million) to make it happen.
“There is a historical debt owed to Choco,” Shakira said. “It has been left to fend for itself, and it has been very difficult to make progress here, but we know it’s possible.”
The quake has been a baptism of fire for political newcomer De la Espriella.
Last week, he toured the region and announced rent subsidies for families who lost their homes.
He also called on his ally, US President Donald Trump, to suspend tariffs on Colombian goods to boost the economy.
But he drew criticism on Aug 16 for handing out footballs marked “Sign for the homeland,” his campaign slogan, from his armoured vehicle on a visit to an area near the quake’s epicentre.
His detractors accused the right-wing firebrand of using the disaster to promote his political brand and of trivialising the survivors’ needs.
His supporters defended the gesture as bringing a little joy to quake victims. AFP