BOGOTA - Colombia’s new housing minister has come under fire after it emerged that he took his family on a Caribbean holiday while the country was reeling from a devastating earthquake that left thousands homeless.

The Aug 10 earthquake, which killed nearly 300 people in western Colombia, struck just three days after right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella took office.

The 7.4-magnitude tremor was the most powerful in Colombia in nearly half a century.

Over the weekend, photos and videos emerged of Housing Minister Jaime Andres Beltran relaxing on a beach in the Caribbean city of Santa Marta.

The left-wing opposition said it would bring a motion of no confidence in the minister for taking leave at such a critical time.

Nearly 27,000 homes were destroyed in the quake and many survivors are now sleeping in the open, on mattresses or makeshift beds.

The minister on Aug 17 attempted to swat away the criticism of his trip, writing on X that he was “not on holiday” but merely “sharing a few hours with my wife and children, whom I had not seen for days” and had “immediately” afterwards resumed work on post-quake reconstruction.

A week after the disaster, hopes of finding any survivors under the rubble have dwindled.

The focus has shifted to the emerging humanitarian crisis on the streets of Cali, Pereira and other quake-hit areas, which have been transformed into open-air refugee camps.

On Aug 17, pop superstar Shakira, who hails fro...