Who will be the ministers of the Government of Gustavo Petro? This is how his cabinet appointments go

Prison overcrowding, a challenge for Petro 1:09

(CNN Spanish) --

The elected president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has outlined little by little what his government will be, with the appointment of some ministers.

Bit by bit, Petro —who won the elections on June 19— is announcing the officials who will lead the ministries in the government that begins on August 7.

Ministry of Defense - Ivan Velasquez

Lawyer Iván Velásquez, born in Medellín, has a long history in the Colombian judicial system and as commissioner of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala.

In Colombia, during the 1990s, he led investigations against Pablo Escobar.

In 2017, as an assistant magistrate of the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Colombia, Velásquez investigated the links of congressmen with paramilitarism and obtained the conviction of more than 50.

In 2013, he took office in the UN commission to fight corruption in Guatemala, but four years later then-president Jimmy Morales decided to expel him.

Velásquez has the challenge of removing the National Police from the Ministry of Defense, as proposed by the president-elect, so that it becomes a civilian body and forms part of the Ministry of Justice or the Interior.

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Read more about Ivan Velasquez

Ministry of the Interior - Alfonso Prada

Just one day before his inauguration as president of Colombia, Petro announced the appointment of several ministers.

One of them was Alfonso Prada, former representative to the Chamber and former councilor, for the Ministry of the Interior.

Alfonso Prada will be the Minister of the Interior.

He has been a Councilman and Representative to the House.

He will be responsible for relations with the legislature and for drawing up policies on human rights, citizen participation and land use planning.

– Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) August 6, 2022

"He will be responsible for relations with the legislature and for drawing up policies on human rights, citizen participation and territorial planning," Petro wrote on his Twitter account.

Minutes after the announcement, Prada thanked "the trust" and assured that she will work "to make the change that Colombians voted for a reality."

In addition to his time in Congress with the Green Party from 2010 to 2014, Alfonso Prada directed the National Learning Service (SENA) from August 2014 to 2017, when then-President Juan Manuel Santos appointed him Secretary General of the Presidency.

He has also been a member of the board of directors of several state agencies, such as those of the National Legal Defense Agency, the National Real Estate Agency, the National Risk Management Unit, and the International Cooperation Agency of the Presidency of the Republic, according to Mention your website bio.

Prada is a lawyer with specializations in Constitutional Law and Legal Theory and Philosophy of Law, areas on which he has also taught.

Ministry of Labor - Gloria Inés Ramírez

Another of the appointments that Petro announced a day before his inauguration was that of Gloria Inés Ramírez as Minister of Labor, "a defender of human rights and the demands of workers," he wrote.

And she added that she "has been a woman who has fought for women's rights and gender equality."

In the Ministry of Labor will be Gloria Inés Ramírez, a defender of human rights and the demands of workers.

She has been a woman who has fought for women's rights and gender equality.

– Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) August 6, 2022

Ramírez served as a senator between 2006 and 2014 for the Polo Democrático, during which time she promoted multiple bills focused on guarantees for women ––among them classifying femicide as a crime and expanding maternity leave–– as well as rights bonuses for workers.

She was also president of the Colombian Federation of Educators and a member of the Central Unitaria de Colombia (CUT).

She has a bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics, with a master's degree in social development and education.

Ministry of Mines and Energy - Irene Vélez

"I have appointed Irene Vélez as Minister of Mines and Energy," Petro announced on August 6 through Twitter.

And she added that she "is a woman with extensive experience in the environmental sector and that she will have the arduous task of leading the transition to a non-extractivist economy."

I have appointed Irene Vélez as Minister of Mines and Energy.

Philosopher from Unal with a doctorate in Political Geography from Copenhagen.

She is a woman with extensive experience in the environmental sector and who will have the arduous task of leading the transition to a non-extractivist economy.

– Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) August 6, 2022

Speaking about the appointment, Vélez tweeted that "this enormous recognition" of the president-elect and vice president-elect Francia Márquez "is not only from my career but from the communities that defend life, water, territory and health. We will push the energy transition, intensive in knowledge, and we will ensure the care of the big house".

Irene Vélez, a professor at the Universidad del Valle, defines herself on her website as an activist researcher "dedicated to the critical study of environmental and agrarian conflicts in Colombia."

She also adds that she has been interested in understanding the processes of "toxic dispossession, environmental racism, and ethnic-racial discrimination in different extractive geographies."

She is a philosopher from the National University of Colombia, with a doctorate in Political Geography from the University of Copenhagen.

Regarding her role as a professor at the Universidad del Valle, she says that she has "cultivated a deep defense of the public sphere, as well as a vocation for transdisciplinary research and the production of relevant scientific knowledge for social transformation with marginalized and impoverished communities. ".

Ministry of Education - Alejandro Gaviria

Alejandro Gaviria will be our new minister of education.

Its challenges are to achieve public and free higher education.

Achieve research-focused public university centers of excellence

Substantially increase the number of boys and girls in preschool

– Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) July 7, 2022

The president-elect announced that Alejandro Gaviria will be the Minister of Education and said that among his challenges were "achieving public and free higher education", "public university centers of excellence focused on research" and "substantially increasing the number of boys and girls in preschool."

Gaviria thanked the appointment in a tweet: "I promise to work for a change for life, for inclusion, the generation of opportunities and reconciliation," he said.

I appreciate the trust of the president-elect @petrogustavo.

I do it with joy and full awareness of my responsibilities.

I promise to work for a change for life, for inclusion, the generation of opportunities and reconciliation.

Let's build together.

pic.twitter.com/ESUTgLIYnT

– Alejandro Gaviria (@agaviriau) July 7, 2022

Alejandro Gaviria was deputy director of Fedesarrollo and the National Planning Department.

He was Minister of Health during the Government of Juan Manuel Santos and was rector of the Universidad de los Andes from 2019 to 2021, when he resigned to launch his presidential candidacy.

Gaviria ended up joining the internal consultation of the Centro Esperanza coalition and in the second round of the presidential elections announced his support for Petro.

Gaviria is a civil engineer, has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, and is the author of several books of literature and poetry.

Read more about Alejandro Gaviria

Ministry of Health - Carolina Corcho

Carolina Corcho is a doctor, psychiatrist and political scientist.

She studied Medicine at the National University of Colombia.

She was born in Medellín, Antioquia, and works as a "researcher in Public Health and social issues," according to her Twitter account.

Corcho is vice president of the Colombian Medical Federation.

She was a consultant for the Pan American Health Organization and an evaluator for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, director of Social Participation and Citizen Services of the Bogotá Secretariat of Health, and undersecretary in charge of Territorial Management in Health, also of Bogotá, among other charges.

Read more about Carolina Corcho

Ministry of the Environment - Susana Muhammad

Susana Muhamad is an environmental activist and current councilor of Bogotá.

She was Secretary of the Environment during the Mayor's Office of Petro (2012-2015).

The doctor from Antioquia, Carolina Corcho, will be the minister of health, the current councilor of Bogotá, a native of Barranquilla, Susana Mohamad, will be the minister of the environment, and the economist from Barranquilla, Cecilia López Montaño, will be the minister of agriculture.

– Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) July 5, 2022

Muhamad is director of Climate Planning for 9 Latin American cities to comply with the Paris Agreement, according to her website.

The activist was already part of the Petro joint team in the environmental sector.

#HappySaturday

Yesterday we were at @MinAmbienteCo with the minister @CarlosECorreaE and the entire joint team of the government of @petrogustavo and @FranciaMarquezM, this is a transcendental issue for the government of change, I will tell you how we are doing in this important work.

pic.twitter.com/wOwcPWZEzu

– Susana Muhamad (@susanamuhamad) July 2, 2022

Ministry of Agriculture - Cecilia López Montaño

Cecilia López Montaño will be the new minister in the Agriculture portfolio.

López Montaño is a former senator, economist and was born in Barranquilla.

He has extensive experience in the public sector, in addition to his time in Congress.

In fact, she was already Minister of Agriculture during the Government of Ernesto Samper (1994-1998).

She was also Minister of the Environment and Ambassador of Colombia to the Netherlands.

López Montaño thanked the appointment on his Twitter account

President-elect @petrogustavo I am deeply honored by your assignment to direct one of the great pillars of your proposal: the Colombian countryside.

A thousand thanks for his confidence in me, and I reiterate my unwavering commitment to you, our Colombia and its wonderful people.

– Cecilia Lopez Montaño (@CeciliaLopezM) July 5, 2022

• What is the government program of Gustavo Petro, president-elect of Colombia?

Ministry of Culture - Patricia Ariza

This Monday, July 4, President-elect Gustavo Petro announced a new appointment through his Twitter account: Patricia Ariza, new Minister of Culture.

Patricia Ariza, from Santander de Vélez, poet and artist, will be the new Minister of Culture.

An explosion of culture throughout Colombia for Peace and coexistence.

A culture for identity to boost diverse Colombianness.https://t.co/WLwTVQZJal

– Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) July 4, 2022

Petro said that with the appointment of Ariza there will be "an explosion of culture throughout Colombia for Peace and coexistence. A culture for identity to revitalize diverse Colombianness."

Ariza is 76 years old, was born in Santander, is a poet, artist, actress and playwright.

She studied Arts at the National University of Colombia and was the founder of the Teatro de la Candelaria in Bogotá, a cultural institution in Colombia that she currently directs.

The new minister shared a message on her Twitter account thanking her for the appointment:

"Thank you President Petro for valuing culture and art. Thanks to the artists of this country who give us their support. Thanks to my theater friends. We will try to ensure that culture and art contribute to peace and inclusion" , wrote.

I agree!

@petrogustavo @FranciaMarquezM pic.twitter.com/s6wJVGpJqz

– Patricia Ariza Florez (@PatriciaArizaF) July 4, 2022

Ministry of Finance — José Antonio Ocampo

Gustavo Petro and José Alberto Ocampo, the next Minister of Economy of Colombia.

(Credit: TwitterR / Gustavo Petro)

José Antonio Ocampo will be Colombia's next finance minister and his goal will be "to build a productive economy and an economy for life," Petro said upon announcing his election to the country's economic portfolio.

José Antonio Ocampo is currently the co-director of the Economic and Political Development Specialization at the School of International and Public Affairs, a member of the Committee on Global Thought, and co-chair of the Initiative for Policy Dialogue at Columbia University.

He is also the chairman of the Committee for Development Policy, an expert committee of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (Ecosoc).

Ocampo has a BA in Economics and Sociology from the University of Notre Dame in 1972 and a Ph. Colombia, and as a visiting professor at the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Yale.

This is a key announcement that has been very well received by various sectors, since Ocampo's trajectory is a signal for the market economy and investors, at the same time that it is considered as a support for the management of the progressive agenda of Petro.

Read more about Jose Antonio Ocampo

Ministry of Sport - María Isabel Urrutia

María Isabel Urrutia, Colombia's first Olympic medalist and former congresswoman, was another of Petro's appointments a day before his inauguration.

"She promoted the professionalization of athletes during her time in Congress and will be a representative of the Afro-Colombian people in the cabinet," the president-elect wrote on his Twitter account.

The renowned athlete María Isabel Urrutia will be our Minister of Sports.

She promoted the professionalization of athletes during her time in Congress and will be a representative of the Afro-Colombian people in the cabinet.

– Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) August 6, 2022

Urrutia thanked Petro for "trust" in a tweet "to lead the complete professionalization of sport in Colombia."

With a degree in Physical Education, María Isabel Urrutia presented Colombia with its first Olympic gold medal in Sydney 2000, for her performance as a weightlifter.

And just two years later, she came to the House of Representatives for the Special National Constituency for Black Communities.

She was in Congress until 2010, during which time she promoted bills to improve the guarantees for athletes in the country.

Foreign Ministry — Álvaro Leyva

This was Petro's first cabinet appointment.

At the time of his announcement on June 25, the president-elect said that Leyva's office will be "a Foreign Ministry of Peace," adding that the country "will contribute all its efforts to the world to overcome the climate crisis and we expect all the effort from the world." to overcome our endemic violence".

Álvaro Leyva is a politician of conservative origin.

He was a promoter of the peace agreement in Havana between the Government of Juan Manuel Santos and the FARC guerrillas;

he was Minister of Mines and Energy in the Government of Belisario Betancourt (1982-1986).

He was also a presidential candidate for the Conservative Party in 2014.

Leyva will be key in Colombia's foreign relations, which will take a turn with respect to the current government of Iván Duque, as Petro announced the normalization of bilateral relations with Venezuela, which had been broken for years. .

Ambassador to the US - Luis Gilberto Murillo

Luis Gilberto Murillo is a new face at the Colombian Embassy in the US Gustavo Petro appointed him as the next ambassador after the resignation of Juan Carlos Pinzón.

Murillo, who lived and worked in Washington and was Sergio Fajardo's vice-presidential candidate, will occupy what is one of the most important diplomatic positions in the country.

Read more about Luis Gilberto Murillo

More appointments expected

After months of electoral campaign and two presidential rounds, Petro is preparing for his inauguration on August 7.

He is expected to make more ministerial announcements about him in the coming days.

-- With information from Gerardo Lemos, Ana Cucalón, Sebastián Jiménez and Melissa Velásquez from CNN en Español. 

Gustavo Petro