Milton Rengifo's appointment was confirmed by the Colombian Foreign Ministry when it received the approval of the Venezuelan authorities. | Photo: Mayor's Office of Bogota

Bogota, June 8 (RHC)-- The Colombian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that political scientist Milton Rengifo Hernández will serve as the country's new ambassador to Venezuela, after the departure of his predecessor, former senator Armando Benedetti.

Rengifo's appointment was confirmed by the Foreign Ministry through a statement after receiving the approval of the Venezuelan authorities, after the Colombian Foreign Minister, Álvaro Leyva Durán, advanced the steps with the aim of continuing working on strengthening bilateral relations.

The new Colombian ambassador to Venezuela will assume the responsibility of consolidating the relations that Bogotá and Caracas managed to renew after the arrival of Gustavo Petro to the presidency of the South American country.

Milton Rengifo Hernández served as undersecretary of Environment; and then of Local Affairs and Citizen Development, when the current Colombian president was mayor of Bogotá.  He was also a legislative advisor to President Petro for 12 years, when the president had parliamentary responsibilities in the House of Representatives and in the Colombian Congress.