Colombia Housing Minister apologizes for earthquake-period trip

Colombian Minister of Housing, Jaime Andrés Beltrán, issued apologies before the Senate's Seventh Commission regarding his trip to Santa Marta during the emergency response to the August 10 earthquake. The minister acknowledged that images of him traveling with his family may have caused distress to those affected by the seismic event, which he described as “the most critical catastrophe of the last 100 years.”

Beltrán defended his actions, stating that he continued to fulfill his responsibilities while with his family and noted that he helped coordinate the delivery of 50 tons of humanitarian aid to Pereira. He criticized the media coverage of the incident as a “media show” and urged focus on national recovery efforts.