Colombian president fires national statistics chief

BOGOTA: Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella fired his statistics chief after the official ruled out inconsistencies in unemployment figures under the previous government, the former director said Tuesday.

De la Espriella took office in August and has accused his predecessor Gustavo Petro, Colombia's first-ever leftist leader, of corruption.

The president announced the dismissal of Ricardo Valencia as head of the national statistics agency (DANE) in a statement on Monday, barely three weeks after appointing him.

"I didn't have any communication from the presidency or from the president expressing any dissatisfaction," Valencia told Bogota-based Blu Radio on Tuesday.

A remark at a press conference cost him his job, it turned out.

Valencia responded to a journalist's question saying that he had not found any inconsistencies in labour market indicators during July, when Petro was still president.

"Up until the date when they asked me that question, I had not found any irregularities," the economist said.

De la Espriella has made it compulsory for all ministries and government agencies to seek permission from the presidency before providing any information to the press.

The presidency criticised Valencia for claiming not to have found "any irregularities" in the data "without having first carried out thorough audits."

Following the dismissal of their director, the DANE workers' union on Tuesday voiced concern about the agency's independence.