Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced Saturday he has not accepted the resignation of the country’s ministers of defense and foreign affairs who, together with all other ministers, had offered their resignation earlier this week.
Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon and Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin will continue to take part in the Santos administration, whose cabinet collectively resigned on Wednesday, halfway the government’s term.
While the decision regarding Holguin was expected, local media had been speculating about the future of Pinzon who has received fierce criticism over his inability to curb an increase in FARC attacks over the past year.
The Colombian president said to take his time to decide on which ministers will stay on and which will go.
Since Wednesday’s spontaneous resignation, Santos has only accepted the resignation of now-former Finance Minister Juan Carlos Echeverry who told press he had requested the president to replace him for personal reasons.