Bishop Jose Luis Azuaje of El Vigia-San Carlos in Venezuela has been elected the new president of Caritas Latin America and the Caribbean, in place of Bishop Fernando Bargallo.

Bishop Azuaje's term began on July 16 and will end in 2015 at the World Assembly of Caritas International.

He has replaced Argentinean Bishop Fernando Bargallo, who stepped down after the publication of controversial photos of him shown with a woman on a beach in Mexico.

The regional coordinator of Caritas Latin America and the Caribbean, Father Francisco Hernandez, thanked Bishop Bargallo for his work with the agency. Bishops from other branches of Caritas in the region also expressed their gratitude to him.

Bishop Azuaje was born on December 6, 1957, in Valera, Venezuela. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Trujillo on May 5, 1984, at the age of 26.

He was named Auxiliary Bishop of Barquisimeto on March 18, 1999. On July 15, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI named him Bishop of El Vigia-San Carlos.