Colombian authorities confirmed today that Carlos Holmes Trujillo, the country’s Defense Minister, has died due to complications resulting from a case of Covid-19. The 69-year-old spent ten days in intensive care at Bogotá’s Military Hospital.
On social media, President Iván Duque said Mr. Trujillo’s life “was the deepest reflection of a commitment to public service.” Before being named Defense Minister, he had headed the Foreign Affairs Ministry under Mr. Duque. He also had stints as Education and Interior Minister, as well as Colombia’s Ambassador in Russia. He was a member of the 1991 Constitutional Assembly.
Mr. Trujillo faced recent criticism for failing to avoid episodes of police brutality. Among a series of controversial statements, he sustained that law enforcement “was the victim of a smear campaign.”
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