Colombia’s Minister of Mines and Energy, Irene Velez, has submitted her resignation following the initiation of investigations by two state bodies, as confirmed in a letter shared by her ministry on Wednesday.
The attorney general’s office and the procurator general, responsible for investigating public officials and potential removal from office, have both launched preliminary investigations into Velez for possible influence peddling.
President Gustavo Petro’s cabinet, as the country’s first leftist leader, has witnessed several changes since assuming power nearly a year ago.
While Velez has previously withstood cabinet reshuffles, she has voluntarily stepped down, as stated in the letter, to prevent the investigations from impacting the government.
The investigations stem from allegations that in January, Velez exerted pressure on a migration official to allow her underage son to leave the country without the necessary legal permission.
The identity of Velez’s potential replacement has not been immediately disclosed.
In April, Petro made changes to his cabinet, including the replacements of finance, health, and interior ministers, among others, following the setback of a health reform in Congress.
These adjustments followed earlier government changes in February when Petro replaced three ministers in the education, sports, and culture ministries from their respective positions.
