A weekend tourist getaway in the midst of the earthquake emergency has the Colombian Housing Minister, Jaime Andrés Beltrán, on thin ice, with calls for his resignation coming this Monday from various sectors, including government allies.
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With less than ten days in the Executive of Abelardo de la Espriella, which began on August 7, Beltrán was photographed over the weekend with his wife at a beach hotel in Santa Marta, one of the cities on the Colombian Caribbean coast.
In the days following the earthquake, the minister visited several affected cities to assess the damage and announce recovery plans, but on Saturday he attended a wedding in Santa Marta and apparently stayed to rest in that city, according to the portal Desigual.
The earthquake a week ago has so far caused nearly 300 deaths and 200 missing persons, as well as 127,608 affected homes, 26,392 destroyed, and 197 collapsed buildings, which is why the minister’s outing is the subject of numerous criticisms.
“Unbelievable! None other than the Housing Minister in the middle of a tragedy. What a lack of everything. This single gesture should get him removed from office and let him go on a peaceful trip,” demanded Chamber Representative Cathy Juvinao from the Green Alliance party on X.
For his part, Senator Jota Pe Hernández, a government ally, called Beltrán “indifferent” for taking a few days off, while the rest of the Executive, including De la Espriella, are dedicated to attending the emergency.
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“It is a shame that the recklessness and lack of judgment of a minister tarnish the great work the Government has done to address the earthquake crisis,” said Senator Andrés Forero from the Uribista Democratic Center party, a government ally, on X.
Neither the president nor the minister himself have commented on the tourist getaway, but the Chamber of Representatives summoned him this Tuesday to a political control debate on the measures the Ministry of Housing is taking to address the emergency.
This summons was made before his trip to Santa Marta became known, but it could lead to a call for him to answer for his trip.
Beltrán, linked to evangelical churches, was elected mayor of Bucaramanga in 2023, but his election was annulled in 2025 due to double party membership. In the last presidential campaign, he was one of the most active regional politicians close to De la Espriella, who chose him for the Housing portfolio.
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