President Gustavo Petro has picked some of Colombia’s most senior politicians and social activists to govern the country in the coming four years.
Finance: José Antonio Ocampo
Finance Minister José Antonio Ocampo is a renowned economist who occupied the same post in the late 1990’s and was the director of the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Interior: Alfonso Prada
Interior Minister Alfonso Prada is President Juan Manuel Santos’ former chief of staff and will be Petro’s main intermediary with Congress to lobby lawmakers’ support for government policy proposals.
Foreign Affairs: Alvaro Leyva
Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva is a former mining minister, diplomat and senator, and has been one of the most vociferous supporters of peace in Colombia.
Justice: Nestor Osuna
Justice Minister Nestor Osuna is a former magistrate of the Superior Judiciary Council and the former law dean of the Externado University.
Defense: Ivan Velasquez
Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez is one of Latin America’s best-known anti-corruption warriors. Velasquez led a United Nations commission against corruption in Guatemala and led investigations between politicians and the now-defunct paramilitary organization AUC in Colombia.
Trade: German Umaña
Trade Minister German Umaña was an international economy professor and the director of the Colombia-Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce. He will be in charge of reestablishing trade ties with the neighboring country.
Equality and Women: Francia Marquez
Vice President Francia Márquez is one of Colombia’s most renowned environmental and women’s rights activists. Marquez will dedicate most her time as VP to combating racism and sexism.
Labor: Gloria Ramirez
Gloria Ramírez is a former labor union leader, a former lawmaker and a long-time women’s rights activist.
Health: Carolina Corcho
Health Minister Carolina Corcho is the former vice-president of the Colombian Medical Federation. The psychiatrist has been one of the main critics of Colombia’s semi-privatized public health care system.
Education: Alejandro Gaviria
Alejandro Gaviria is a former health minister, and economic scholar and one of the closest allies of former President Juan Manuel Santos.
Environment: Susana Muhamad
Environment Minister Susana Muhamad is a long-time environmental activist who was Petro’s Environment Secretary when the president was mayor of Bogota.
Agriculture: Cecilia Lopez
Agriculture Minister Cecilia Lopez occupied the same position under former President Ernesto Samper and has been an outspoken supporter of land reform.
Housing: Catalina Velasco
Housing Minister Catalina Velasco is a political scientist who was Bogota’s public utilities chief when the president was mayor of the capital.
Mining and Energy: Irene Velez
Energy minister Irene Velez is a philosopher who also studied political geography. Velez has been a major defender of rural communities and the environment in disputes with mining companies and foreign governments.
Culture: Patricia Ariza
Culture Minister Patricia Ariza is one of Colombia’s best-known poets and an outspoken peace activist.
ICT: Mery Gutierrez
ICT Minister Mery Gutierrez an attorney who also studied ICT and management.
Sports: Maria Isabel Urrutia
Sports Minister María Isabel Urrutia is an Olympic medalist and a former congresswoman.
Transport: Guillermo Reyes
Transport Minister was a former deputy Interior Minister under former President Alvaro Uribe and a long-time law scholar.