Colombia defense minister will leave gov't, ministry says

BOGOTA (Reuters) - The resignation of Colombia Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez from President Gustavo Petro's cabinet is definitive, the ministry said in a social media post on Tuesday, as Velasquez joins the environment and interior ministers in exiting the government.

Petro asked all his ministers to present their resignations on Sunday, after a tense televised cabinet meeting last week led some officials to step down.

"Based on information circulating in the media, we inform you that the minister of defense, Ivan Velasquez, presented his irrevocable resignation from the post," the ministry said on X.

Some ministers and other cabinet members publicly objected to the naming of a controversial new advisor to Petro, former senator Armando Benedetti, and new foreign minister Laura Sarabia, during the cabinet meeting last week.

Other ministers, including new finance minister Diego Guevara have or will present their 'protocol' resignations, their ministries have said.

Petro has previously requested mass cabinet resignations in order to make changes to the government, but has historically kept some ministers in their posts.

Petro, currently on a visit to Dubai, has not yet named replacements for any ministers.

(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb)

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