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| Colombian foreign minister quits | Colombian foreign minister quits |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Colombia's Foreign Minister Maria Consuelo Araujo has resigned following the arrest of her brother on suspicion of links with paramilitary groups. | Colombia's Foreign Minister Maria Consuelo Araujo has resigned following the arrest of her brother on suspicion of links with paramilitary groups. |
| Last week, Senator Alvaro Araujo became the highest-ranking politician to be detained as part of the inquiry. | Last week, Senator Alvaro Araujo became the highest-ranking politician to be detained as part of the inquiry. |
| Correspondents say Ms Araujo's resignation deals another blow to a president already under pressure over his allies' ties to paramilitaries. | |
| Right-wing armed groups are accused of drug trafficking and massacres. | Right-wing armed groups are accused of drug trafficking and massacres. |
| They have been involved in a long-running conflict with state forces and left-wing rebel forces. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in the fighting. | |
| Evidence | |
| Ms Araujo said she had informed President Alvaro Uribe of her decision on Sunday night. | |
| There had been growing calls for her to step down following the arrest of her brother. | |
| Mr Uribe had defended his foreign minister, saying Ms Araujo should remain in the post because she "had nothing to do with the crimes being investigated". | |
| Senator Araujo's arrest was ordered last Thursday by the Supreme Court, along with those of five other members of the coalition that backs the government. | |
| Three other lawmakers were jailed in November for links to paramilitaries. | |
| Some of the evidence against politicians came from a laptop belonging to a senior paramilitary warlord known as Jorge 40, or Rodrigo Tovar Pupo. | |
| Despite the scandal, the president's popularity remains at 70%, recent opinion polls suggest. |