All Colombia’s ministers and ambassadors offered their resignation to outgoing President Alvaro Uribe in order to allow President-elect Juan Manuel Santos to completely reshape the country’s administrative and diplomatic corps.
The protocolary resignation of ministers took place “Monday evening during a cabinet meeting,” Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez said on Tuesday. The foreign minister said that all ministers would stay on until August 7 when Juan Manuel Santos officially assumed the presidency.
Bermudez said that all Colombia’s ambassadors also stepped down, in order to allow Santos full control over Colombia’s representation abroad.
In Colombia, protocol dictates that all public officials and commanders of the armed forces resign when a new president assumes office.