The president of Colombia, Abelardo De la Espriella, has ordered the immediate dismissal of the national director of Firefighters, Captain Germán Miranda, just 26 days after his appointment, after learning of supposed "irregular" actions and of "the greatest severity" attributed to the high official, who took office on September 7.
"I have learned of facts that involve the current national director of Firefighters, Captain Germán Miranda, in actions that I consider of the greatest severity and that must be clarified by the competent authorities," the Colombian president explained on his social media, without providing further details about the investigated facts for now.
In the same message, the head of State indicated that, "For this reason, I have asked the Minister of the Interior, Rodrigo Lara, to proceed immediately to declare his appointment null and void," thus confirming the abrupt dismissal of Captain Miranda from the emergency agency.
De la Espriella, who has made the fight against corruption one of the central axes of the beginning of his mandate, has reiterated that he will have "no leniency towards any conduct that may compromise transparency, the integrity of public service, or the good name of our institutions."
"The mere suspicion of an irregular action will be enough to demand the departure of any government official," he added. "I will do everything legally possible for justice to fall with all rigor: anyone who intends to tarnish my Government is an enemy of the Homeland and I will treat them as such," the president promised, insisting on his message of zero tolerance.
"With me," he concluded, "they learn transparency for better or for worse."