Colombia's energy minister facing probe amid El Niño power crisis

Colombian energy minister Andrés Camacho said Friday he was unconcerned by an investigation against him for allegedly thwarting the functions of energy regulator Creg. 

Earlier, the country's inspector general, Margarita Cabello, said Camacho was being probed for a lack of quorum of Creg commissioners that she said had posed "grave risks" to Colombia's energy sector. 

"The prosecutor is fulfilling her task," Camacho said on the sidelines of the Arpel-Naturgas Week conference in Cartagena. "The investigations are progressing and we’re providing all the guarantees that are necessary.”

"We have shown all the actions we have taken so I have complete peace of mind about what we have done," he added. 

According to Cabello, Creg has been unable to make decisions on 14 issues of national importance, including the flexibility of natural gas contracts and measures to combat electricity rationing amid an El Niño-induced drought that has crippled hydroelectric power generation.

And she accused Camacho of hand-picking interim commissioners without the necessary technical experience.

"There’s evidence of a lack of coordination between institutions to guarantee electricity services," she said during a 30-minute presentation at the event. 

According to national grid operator and wholesale power market coordinator XM, Colombia's hydroelectric dams are currently at 31% of their capacity, the lowest April level in more than 20 years. 

The situation has forced capital Bogotá to begin electricity rationing and other cities could soon follow, according to experts.