Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella sacked his statistics chief because he claimed he found no anomalies in labor statistics presented by the administration of former President Gustavo Petro.

In a press statement, De la Espriella’s press secretary said that DANE director Ricardo Valencia was sacked for claiming “that he had not found any anomalies in the DANE indicators for the month of July, figures compiled during the final month of the previous administration.”

Valencia made that claim “without any in-depth audits having been conducted beforehand,” according to the press secretary.

It is essential for the National Government to conduct a rigorous review of the information received and to ensure that the data on which strategic decisions for the country are based fully reflect the economic and social reality of Colombians.

President’s Office

The former DANE director was sacked days after the President’s Office canceled another statistics press conference that are common because of the agency’s regular updates on the state of the Colombian economy

July’s labor statistics confirmed claims by the previous government that unemployment dropped to record lows after Petro raised the minimum wage.

De la Espriella has insisted that the country’s economy is in crisis contrary to evidence, which indicated Petro increased economic growth in his last half year in office.