Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Thursday announced he has appointed his interior minister to lead the Mining Ministry and has replaced the health minister.
Former Interior Minister Federico Renjifo, a close ally of the president but heavily criticized over the way he handled recent indigenous unrest in the southwest of Colombia, was moved to the country’s Mining and Energy Ministry.
Beatriz Londoño was sacked as health minister and replaced by Alejandro Gaviria, an economist and awarded scholar.
Santos also announced he would not accept the resignation of Labor Minister Rafael Pardo, a prominent Liberal Party politician.
The new appointments are part of a mid-term reshuffle of the entire cabinet that began a week ago when all ministers resigned in order for Santos to be able to recompose the administration that drastically lost approval during its first two years in office.
