Colombia statistics chief fired after jobs data remark

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has dismissed Ricardo Valencia as head of the national statistics agency DANE, after Valencia said he had not found irregularities in July labor market indicators under the previous government.

The presidency announced Valencia's dismissal on Monday, barely three weeks after appointing him. Valencia told Bogota-based Blu Radio on Tuesday that he had received no message from the presidency or the president expressing dissatisfaction before he was removed.

Valencia said he had answered a journalist's question at a press conference by saying that, up to that point, he had not found irregularities in labor market data for July, when former president Gustavo Petro was still in office.

The presidency criticised Valencia for saying he had not found irregularities without first carrying out thorough audits.

De la Espriella took office in August and has accused Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, of corruption. He has also made it compulsory for ministries and government agencies to seek permission from the presidency before giving information to the press.

After Valencia's dismissal, the DANE workers' union voiced concern about the agency's independence.