Colombia's Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo Dies at 69 Due To COVID-19
Colombia's Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo, 69, died in the hospital after he tested positive for COVID-19. President Ivan Duque had a televised address on Tuesday announcing the death of the defense minister.
"Colombia has lost one of its best men," Pres. Duque said, according to BBC.
Carlos Holmes Trujillo was Colombia's most recognized conservative politicians, reported The Associated Press. He was also a long-serving politician, working as a key figure in Colombia's struggle to combat organized crime.
Before his stint as defense minister in November 2019, Trujillo first served as foreign minister and became mayor of Cali's city from 1988 to 1990.
Though unsuccessful, Trujillo also ran for president in 2019 when Duque defeated him. He also held several ministerial and diplomatic positions during his decades-long political career. For Duque, Trujillo's life was a "reflection of vocation for public service."
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He fell ill during his visit to the coastal city of Barranquilla and was transferred to a hospital on January 11. Trujillo was taken to a military hospital in Bogotá earlier this month for COVID-19. And he was put on intensive care and later on developed viral pneumonia.
Carlos Holmes Trujillo Backed Efforts to Force Venezuelan President Maduro Out of Office
During his time as foreign minister, Trujillo backed the U.S. in its effort to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He supported Maduro's rival Juan Guaidó.
He was also a key figure in Colombia's response to an influx of refugees from Venezuela. At the time, he managed to develop programs that facilitated temporary residency for thousands of refugees.
Carlos Holmes Trujillo also delivered commendable work as defense minister. He led the country's efforts to tackle its rapidly growing cocaine production since 2013, which stabilized over the last two years.
He argued that the country's government came up with cleaner ways to fumigate coca crops after an aerial fumigation of the crops was suspended in 2015 over environmental and health concerns.
His 30-year career covered some of Colombia's most violent periods, like the government's conflict with the armed rebel group, Farc.
Carlos Holmes Trujillo's Brother, U.S. Defense Secretary Pay Tribute
José Renán Trujillo, the defense minister's brother, paid a tribute on Twitter, writing: "It is with great pain that I hear my brother has died. He fought for his convictions and he died defending them."
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III also released a statement on Trujillo's death, saying the people of Colombia will "always remember the powerful legacy that his dedicated service and leadership leaves behind."
He also extended condolences to Trujillo's family and said they would be in his thoughts during "this period of mourning."
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Several senior Colombian politicians have also been infected with the coronavirus, like indigenous leader Luis Fernando Arias, who fell gravely ill after getting infected.
Since the start of the pandemic, Colombia reported more than two million cases related to the coronavirus, and almost 52,000 people have already died from it.
Other influential men in Latin America also tested positive for COVID-19, like the region's richest man, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim and Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
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