Colombia’s President-elect Juan Manuel Santos Tuesday met with Defense Minister Gabriel Silva and high-ranking members of the armed forces to discuss the incoming administration’s defense policy.
Santos, a former defense minister, was met with a round of applause by those assembled. He said he felt at home at the ministry and that he will carry the successes of “Operation Phoenix” and “Operation Checkmate” for the rest of his life.
The president-elect congratulated the Defense Ministry for the recent success of “Operation Chameleon,” in which the armed forces rescued four FARC hostages who had been in guerrilla captivity for twelve years.
During the meeting Santos and the Defense ministry members discussed coordinating the handover of power from the outgoing administration of President Alvaro Uribe to Santos’ new administration, as well as new strategies to combat the FARC and drug trafficking.
Uribe will hand Santos the keys to the Casa de Nariño on August 7.
Santos was elected president on Sunday night with 69.06% of the vote, while his opponent Antanas Mockus won 27.52%.
