Leyva described as transcendental Petro's call for a great national agreement in Colombia, of moral reconstruction and free of fears. | Photo: W radio

Colombian president-elect names next foreign minister

Bogota, June 26 (RHC)--The president-elect of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, appointed this Saturday Álvaro Leyva Durán as the second member of his cabinet and future Minister of Foreign Affairs, once he assumes power next August 7th.

"It will be a foreign ministry of peace", said the president-elect on his official Twitter account, referring to Leyva.  Born in 1942, he is a member of the Conservative Party and studied Law and Economics at the Javeriana University.

Within his political career he was councilman and deputy for Cundinamarca; in 1978 he was elected representative to the Chamber; and later in 1982, he became a member of the Senate.  This before being elected Minister of Mines and Energy.  He also served as Minister of Government.

In these functions, he was a member of the National Verification Commission, key for the peace agreements with the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC); in addition to being a standard bearer in almost all peace processes that the State tried to carry out with illegal groups.

His mediation during the government of Juan Manuel Santos was key in the signing of the 2016 Peace Agreement; as well as in the proposal of the justice model to satisfy the victims, today known as the Special Peace Jurisdiction (JEP).

Incidentally, Leyva described as transcendental Petro's call for a great national agreement in Colombia, to whom he expressed his support since the beginning of his presidential campaign.  "That is Gustavo Petro as president: hope, serenity, maturity.  A process of reunion begins.  No more fears.  Unity in diversity, integral peace.  Welcome to all.  We all fit.  All of us.  Moral reconstruction.  It is the new struggle," he said.

Leyva thus joins Vice President Francia Marquez in the new ministerial cabinet, as in addition to her duties in the vice presidency, Marquez will assume the leadership of the new Ministry of Equality.