Colombia housing minister criticized after beach visit during quake
The opposition is preparing a no-confidence motion as nearly 27,000 homes were destroyed and thousands were left homeless.
Colombia Housing Minister Jaime Andres Beltran drew criticism after photos and video showed him on a beach in Santa Marta, in the Caribbean, while the country was still grappling with the impact of the 7.4 magnitude quake on 10 August. The left-wing opposition said it would file a no-confidence motion because Beltran was seen as taking leave during a crisis. The quake killed nearly 300 people in western Colombia and destroyed nearly 27,000 homes, forcing many survivors to sleep in the open or in emergency shelters. In a post on X on 17 August, Beltran denied he was on vacation. He said he had spent only a few hours with his wife and children before returning to oversee post-quake reconstruction.