The president Abelardo de la Espriella ordered the Minister of Information and Communications Technologies, Alexandra Falla Zerrate, to immediately review the appointments being made within the ministry and to check the backgrounds of those aspiring to hold public office.
The right-wing leader's instruction aims to prevent individuals who are not aligned with the Government's project or with the principles of his administration from being part of the TIC Ministry.
De la Espriella made the request publicly through his X account and demanded a rigorous analysis of the appointments, after the appointment of an official with a leftist past went viral.
The message from Abelardo
“Minister @AlexandraFalla, please immediately review the appointments being made within your team and rigorously verify the backgrounds and actions of those aspiring to join this Government. If you find situations incompatible with our principles and guidelines, proceed accordingly. Public positions require coherence, suitability, and absolute commitment to the country,” wrote the head of State.
The minister immediately responded to the presidential instruction and assured that she had already begun the requested review. Additionally, she reaffirmed her support for the political project of the national administration.
“Mr. President, my absolute commitment is to our Miracle Homeland: the dream of all! Following your instruction, I am proceeding immediately accordingly. @ABDELAESPRIELLA,” asserted Falla.
Abelardo de la Espriella
A controversial appointment
Although De la Espriella did not publicly mention a specific appointment, his request to the minister came after information was circulated about the appointment of the leftist Silvana Arbeláez Bateman as an advisor at grade 18 of the TIC Ministry.
According to reports, the appointment was heavily criticized due to a family connection of Arbeláez Bateman with Jaime Bateman Cayón, known as El Flaco or Commander Pablo, one of the founders of the M-19, a leftist terrorist organization to which former president Gustavo Petro belonged.
This background is compounded by Arbeláez Bateman's trajectory within public agencies during Petro's Government. According to the information released, she was an official of the Unique Fund for Information and Communications Technologies during that administration.
She also held the position of director of the Institutional Channel of the Public Media System, Inravisión, formerly Rtvc, during the same Government. Additionally, she served as advisor 16 of the TIC Ministry during that management.
The case put the appointments being made in the ministry under scrutiny and led to the president's direct order to Falla to review the backgrounds and actions of those seeking to join the Government.
De la Espriella's instruction establishes as a criterion that those occupying public positions must demonstrate coherence with the guidelines of his administration, as well as suitability and commitment to the country.
