The Office of the Attorney General of the Nation already has in its possession the testimony of the former Vice Minister of Energy, Belizza Ruiz, who under the gravity of oath, delivered his version on the possible irregularities that occurred in a report from the Ministry, led by Minister Irene Vélez.
(Deputy Minister of Energy, Belizza Ruiz, speaks about the controversial study).
In sections of the statements, known by EL TIEMPO, Ruiz stated that he had no participation in the construction of the controversial document, and He expressed his objections to some manipulations within that government unit.
In an hour and a half of conversation, the former vice minister explained to the delegate attorney and his team that they listened to her concerns about the statements that have been delivered, related to the gas reserves that the country has, since in the presentation of the report they combined the probabilities of gas reserves with which there are, something that is not precise and would generate confusion to the citizens.
(Former vice-minister Ruiz assures that Vélez has technical deficiencies).
For this reason, he indicated that the correct thing to do would have been to show the current reserves on the one hand, and in another text the contingents and prospects for gas in Colombia, since doing so without having a study at hand to certify what is there was not the best option.
The departure of the former vice minister of the National Government took place on January 28, when President Gustavo Petro accepted her resignation. Behind this procedure there were differences of Belizza Ruiz internally within the Ministry when discussing whether or not it is necessary to enter into new contracts for gas exploration and exploitation.
(Did the minister lie?: The answer is yes and I have proof, says Ruiz).
In dialogue with EL TIEMPO, The vice minister stressed that this assessment depends on the energy demand for gas, which must be guaranteed to all citizens. But that, in his opinion, does not happen everywhere, an example of this is the supply in the south of the country.
Former Vice Minister of Mines Belizza Ruiz speaks, after her resignation. Belizza Ruiz speaks after her departure from Minminas. The former vice minister tells details about her departure from the ministry, her relationship with Minister Irene Vélez and the report on gas and oil reserves.
Due to the report on gas in the country, the Attorney General’s Office opened an inquiry against Minister Irene Vélez, in addition to the testimony received from the former vice minister.
In his appointment before the control body, Belizza Ruiz He stressed that he has objections “to a graph (of the gas report) because if one wants to show how far we have natural gas resources, what we must use are the first three colors that appear there. Green means that I have 90 percent of probability of extracting that gas, the lightest green are the probable ones and in them it is stated that 50 percent of what is there can be extracted; and the lightest green the probability is 10 percent,” said the former vice minister to the delegates of the Public Ministry.
His words focused on the technical, and about it he said that he was unaware of many of the data that were published in the report. “I clarify that I knew the document, because before it was published, it is very important that it stay here. At no time was I part of that document or supported its preparation,” Ruiz stressed.
Likewise, she declared that her then boss, Irene Vélez, neither invited her to take part nor did she ask her to review the text. However, the director of Hydrocarbons at that time, Camilo Rincón, did tell the former vice minister the suggestions he had regarding the report. To which Ruiz replied that he should speak directly with the minister.
“In the Ministry there must be a protocol, the minister or minister talks with her deputy ministers, but that did not happen in the Ministry, she spoke directly with anyone passing over the offices. This was one of those times”Ruiz detailed.
Faced with Rincón’s alert that Minister Vélez not include the issue of gas reserves in the report, as this issue could cause problems, the head of the portfolio ignored it, since the information was published.
“It did not take them into account because finally, the graph shows the reserves, contingent and prospective resources and a topic that talks about specific projects, which are private”declared under oath the woman cited to the Attorney General’s Office.
After these words, the delegates of the Public Ministry will go on to evaluate what is around the investigation in order to take some disciplinary action, in case there is room for it.
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