Diana Marcela Morales will be Colombia's new Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism.
Diana Marcela Morales Rojas , current secretary of the Fourth Committee of the House of Representatives and a member of the Liberal Party, has been confirmed as Colombia's next Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism.
The Presidency of the Republic officially published his resume on Friday evening, May 9, paving the way for his imminent appointment.
Morales is a political scientist from the Universidad del Rosario and a specialist in economics from the Universidad Javeriana. She also has studies in Constitutional Law, Public Policy, and Development, and a master's degree in Interdisciplinary Development Studies with an emphasis on Security, Peace, and Development from the Universidad de Los Andes.
Luis Carlos Reyes, former Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism. Photo: Milton Diaz / El Tiempo Photo: Milton Diaz / El Tiempo
Throughout her professional career, she has served as Director of Interinstitutional Management for the Victims Unit, as an advisor to the DANE Directorate, and as an advisor to the Office of the Minister of Information and Communications Technology.
Diana Morales will be the third Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism during Gustavo Petro's term. Germán Umaña and Luis Carlos Reyes previously held the position. Cielo Rusinque is currently the acting Minister.
This appointment fulfills the agreement with a segment of the Liberal Party that had been demanding representation in the Executive Branch, amid the cabinet reshuffle that began at the beginning of the year with the goal of achieving greater party representation to ensure greater support in Congress.
Gustavo Petro, President of Colombia, during a cabinet meeting. Photo: Presidency
It's no small feat that the appointment was confirmed days before the referendum vote in the Senate, which could even be seen as a move by the government to secure support among the Liberals, as that party will tip the balance in the final outcome.
Diana Marcela Morales will replace Luis Carlos Reyes. Photo: EL TIEMPO
Former President César Gaviria, head of the Liberal Party, called on Friday not to vote for the referendum and distanced himself from Morales' appointment.
"It is necessary to clarify that this alleged appointment and the congressional official do not represent or interpret the position of the Liberal Party, which is independent of the current government, much less the unnecessary and improvised consultation mechanism promoted by the Executive Branch," the former president stated in a statement.
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