Colombian President-elect Juan Manuel Santos announced that Beatriz Uribe, a former president of the Colombian Chamber of Construction, will be his minister for the environment, housing and development, until the portfolio is divided.
Marine biologist Sandra Bessudo, whom Santos had named as environment minister, will now take the position of vice minister for the environment.
When the portfolio is divided, Uribe will assume the role of housing minister. The incoming minister was vice minister of housing under Roberto Junguito during outgoing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe’s government.
The economist graduated from the Universidad del Rosario, and has with a masters from the London School of Economics and the University of Bath.
Beatriz Uribe joins Bessudo is currently the director of the Malpelo foundation. She will join Defense Minister Maria Angela Holguin, Finance Minister Juan Carlos Echeverry, Transport Minister German Cardona, Agriculture Minister Juan Camilo Restrepo Salazar, Trade Minister Sergio Diaz Granados and Minister for Mining and Energy Carlos Rodado Noriega in the Santos cabinet.