Church service for deceased Colombian minister

Family members and government officials attended a mass in remembrance of Carlos Holmes Trujillo, the Colombian Defense Minister who died on Tuesday morning from complications related to COVID-19.

He was 69.

The defence minister passed away after being in the hospital for two weeks and spending the last few days in an induced coma at an intensive care unit in Bogota.

President Ivan Duque said of Holmes Trujillo: “His life was a reflection of his vocation for public service,” President Ivan Duque said of Holmes Trujillo.

Holmes Trujillo became defence minister in November 2019, after serving as foreign minister. He was also the mayor of Cali from 1988-1990.

Colombia reported more than 15,000 new cases per day in mid-January, up from about 7,000 cases in early December.

Colombia has more than 50,000 confirmed deaths from the coronavirus.