Colombia’s former Foreign Minister Fernando Araujo Perdomo took up the position of the Conservative Party president on Thursday.
Araujo occupies the spot left by Efraín Cepeda Sarabia on Wednesday.
Cepeda resigned from leadership of the Conservatives in order to again be allowed to attain a seat in the Senate.
Until today it was believed that Senator Omar Yepes Alzate, a senior Congressman and Conservative Party veteran, would take up the position however, Alzate announced that he does not intend to stand as a candidate for Congress and left the position open for one of his colleagues.
Araujo, a long-time member of the Conservative Party, was kidnapped by the FARC in 2000. He escaped from captivity six years laterand was named Foreign Minister less than two months after his regained liberty. In July 2008 he resigned from this job.
Claudia Otero, president of the New Generation Conservatives will occupy the vicepresidency.