The diplomat remained in the Intensive Care Unit for several days, the Foreign Ministry reported.
News International.
Last Friday, August 2, 2024, it was learned that the Colombian ambassador in Lisbon, Portugal, José Fernando Bautista, suffered health complications.
Read also:
Bautista, who was heading to Porto to carry out his diplomatic duties, suffered a cardiac arrest on the way and had to be rushed to a clinic in the Portuguese capital. His death was confirmed in the last few hours.
According to the Colombian Foreign Ministry, the diplomat was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of a medical center in Lisbon, where he remained for several days. Bautista had also faced health problems in the past, including heart surgery performed months earlier.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that unfortunately our ambassador to Portugal, José Fernando Bautista, passed away today in Lisbon
We praise your firm commitment to Colombia and the country’s foreign policy.
For several years, Ambassador Bautista provided his… pic.twitter.com/D5Fgy6PIBF
— Colombian Foreign Ministry (@CancilleriaCol) August 8, 2024
President Gustavo Petro expressed his regret at the death through his X account and extended his condolences to the family. “Our ambassador to the Republic of Portugal, José Fernando Bautista, has died. My condolences to his family and to his department: Norte de Santander,” the president wrote.
Our ambassador to the Republic of Portugal, José Fernando Bautista, has died.
My condolences to his family and his department: Norte de Santander.
RIP. pic.twitter.com/6GYRMKB407
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) August 8, 2024
José Fernando Bautista had an outstanding career in the Colombian diplomatic service. Before his assignment in Lisbon, he served as ambassador to Suriname and Venezuela during previous governments. He also held positions as consul in Pretoria, South Africa, and in São Paulo, Brazil.
You can also read: