Colombian Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo died of complications stemming from Covid-19.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS - Colombian Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo, who had overseen the government s fight against drug gangs and guerrillas, died Tuesday of coronavirus complications. He was 69.
Trujillo is the highest-ranking Colombian official and one of nearly a dozen sitting cabinet ministers worldwide to have succumbed to the virus that has killed at least 2.1 million people since the outbreak began in China in December 2019.
Trujillo s death prompted messages of grief and sympathy from near and far, even the government of the United States and the UN.
He was hospitalized in Bogota on January 11 and admitted to intensive care four days later after suffering acute lung function deterioration, according to the defense ministry.
The Air Surveillance Service (SVA) of the Public Security Ministry on Monday unveiled a new airplane meant to assist in anti-drug operations.
The ceremony was held at Juan Santamaría Airport in Alajuela alongside representatives from the U.S. Embassy, which helped fund the purchase of the Cessna Grand Caravan. The $5.6 million investment includes the aircraft, spare parts, maintenance and training.
“The United States is committed to working shoulder-to-shoulder with Costa Rica to build a more stable, prosperous and secure region,” said U.S. Ambassador Sharon Day. “The incorporation of this aircraft and this hangar will help Costa Rica to improve its support to isolated communities and its patrol capacity in the territory, making a difference in the lives of Costa Ricans.”