Beach Vacation, Toy Balls, and Tablets: Colombia's President Under Pressure After Earthquake

Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, is facing a severe political crisis just days into his term following a devastating earthquake that struck on August 10. The natural disaster has claimed over 300 lives, destroyed nearly 27,000 homes, and heavily damaged over 127,000 more. Educational and health facilities nationwide have also been impacted, leaving tens of thousands displaced and living in temporary shelters.

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We are public servants, but we are also fathers and husbands.

Amidst this national tragedy, images of the new Housing Minister, Jaime Andrés Beltrán, in swimwear on a tropical beach have sparked outrage. Beltrán, who was reportedly near the coastal city of Santa Marta, defended his actions, stating he was spending a few hours with his children whom he had not seen for days. He asserted that public servants are also parents and husbands, and he refused to apologize, insisting he would remain in his post. This stance has been met with criticism from across the political spectrum, with Senator Carol Borda calling it a "painful level of alienation."

Further compounding the government's image problem, President de la Espriella and his team were seen distributing toy balls from armored government vehicles in the heavily affected port city of Buenaventura. The yellow balls, emblazoned with his party's logo, "Defensores de la Patria," were thrown to children in a city where over 10,000 families were impacted by the earthquake. Videos circulating on social media show angry residents questioning the appropriateness of such actions when schools have collapsed and the hospital is in ruins.

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What a painful level of alienation.

Adding to the public's dismay, the government's plan to deliver education via tablets in the affected region has been met with skepticism, given the area's pre-existing issues with power and internet outages. While the president and Health Minister Ana María Vesga announced plans to reactivate an abandoned hospital ship and deliver medical supplies and emergency tents, the financial hurdles for reconstruction are immense, with estimated costs reaching approximately $9.5 billion USD in the five most affected departments.

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26 schools have collapsed, the hospital is in ruins – what are people here supposed to do with balls?