Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos apologizes to the people of La
Macarena and Vista Hermosa, Central Colombia, for massacres in the name
of the state and for the abandonment of the state.
In one of his last public acts as Defense Minister, Santos welcomed the recovery of the territory of La Macarena and Vista Hermosa by the armed forces. He invited international businesses to invest in this region which lived so long under the power of the FARC, El Espectador reported Tuesday.
Santos announced his resignation last Monday to be allowed to run for the 2010 presidency.
So far, the government has made no statements about the successor of Santos.
Against speculations, Rodrigo Rivera, a former Liberal and rabid defender of Uribe’s Democratic Security policy, is not interested in succeeding Santos as Defense Minister.