Colombia’s ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), a frequent critic of Venezuela’s government throughout the previous administration, will reportedly be replaced in order to improve bilateral relations between the neighboring countries, reports newspaper El Espectador.
During the administration of President Alvaro Uribe, Hoyos repeatedly attacked Venezuela for its alleged ties to Colombia’s largest guerrilla group the FARC. He had declared to the OAS that Venezuelan authorities were “guarding and keeping” several members of the FARC’s Secretariat in their territory.
It appears that Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos’ decision to relieve Luis Alfonso Hoyos of his post is in light of Friday’s meeting with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in Cartagena.
As the Santos administration prioritizes the normalization of ties between the two countries after a difficult diplomatic period under Uribe, it is expected that the Colombian president will formalize the decision to replace the ambassador soon.