Colombia’s Minister of Mines and Energy, Irene Vélez, has saved this Tuesday the motion of censure against her presented by the House of Representatives, after only 24 deputies voted in favor of removing her from office.
Vélez has counted on the majority support of the chamber –132 votes against the motion- after the rejection of the Historic Pact, Liberal Party, U Party and Conservative Party benches to the initiative of the Uribist opposition of Centro Democrático and Cambió Radical, reports RCN.
Vélez’s victory comes after a tough debate in which several opposition deputies have reproached him for his past statements on important energy issues in Colombia, such as those related to hydrocarbon exploitation.
«The responsibility of this government is to make this energy transition an opportunity for environmental and social justice», said the minister last November 30 before the Chamber, where she warned about the volatile hydrocarbons market, as well as the international price of oil.
