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Colombia President Alvaro Uribe has appointed Gabriel Silva Lujan as the
country’s new Defense Minister, the Presidency announced on Monday.
The Presidency confirmed the appointment on its website.
Silva Lujan was president of Colombia’s coffee growers’ federation until this weekend. He resigned this weekend and according to local media has been in talks with the Presidency about heading the country’s Ministry of Defense, succeeding Juan Manuel Santos, who resigned in May to be able to run for the 2010 Presidency if Uribe is not willing or allowed to do so.
Until August, when the new Defense Minister takes position, Armed Forces commander Freddy Padilla will continue to be interim Defense Minister.
