Gina Parody

Gina María Parody d'Echeona
Education Minister of Colombia
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 August 2014
Director of the National Learning Service of Colombia
In office 6 March 2013 – 20 August 2014
President	Juan Manuel Santos Calderón
Preceded by	Luis Alfonso Hoyos Aristizábal
Senator of Colombia
In office 20 July 2006 – 19 January 2009
Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia
In office 20 July 2002 – 20 July 2006
Constituency	Bogotá, D.C.
Personal details
Born	13 November 1973 Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
Political party	Independent
Other political affiliations	Social National Unity (2006-2010) Radical Change (2002-2006)
Alma mater	Pontifical Xavierian University
Profession	Lawyer
Website	www.ginaparody.com

Gina María Parody d'Echeona (born November 13, 1973)^[1] is the current Minister of Education of Colombia. Born in Bogotá in 1973, Parody graduated as a lawyer from Pontifical Xavierian University and became a politician. She has served as Director of the National Learning Service (SENA) and also in the Senate and the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia.

Career

Parody studied law at the Pontifical Xavierian University in Bogotá obtaining a specialization in conflict resolution. She also studied criminology at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain and political theory at Columbia University in the United States.^[2]

Upon her return to Colombia, Parody worked as adviser to María Isabel Rueda between 1998 and 2000. She later joined the political campaign for the presidency of Álvaro Uribe in the presidential elections of 2002. Uribe suggested her to run as an independent candidate for the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia in representation of Bogota for the legislative elections of 2002. Parody achieved the second highest voting turnout in Bogota, only surpassed by Gustavo Petro.

Representative 2002-2006

In congress, Parody was notable for her defense of the politics of President Uribe. She was elected President of the First Commission of the Chamber of Representatives.^[3]

Senator 2006-2009

In the legislative elections of 2006 Parody decided to join the Social National Unity Party and ran for a seat in the senate. Parody was elected and attempted to nominate herself as candidate for President of the Congress of Colombia and senate, but her party selected Dilian Francisca Toro. She was elected instead as President of the First Commission of the senate. Because of the disorder within the party, Parody organized a dissidence along senate colleagues Marta Lucía Ramírez and Armando Benedetti and chamber representative Nicolás Uribe.

In January 2009, Gina Parody announced that she was resigning her seat in the Colombian Congress. Parody's replacement is Marcos Cortés.^[4]

2011 Bogota's Mayor Candidacy

In May 2011, Parody announced her candidacy for Mayor of Bogota. Because she ran without the support of any political party, she collected signatures to run as a citizen movement affiliate^[5] She was defeated by Gustavo Petro.

2014 Ministry of Education

In August 20, 2014, Parody was appointed as the new Education Minister by President Juan Manuel Santos,^[6] replacing María Fernanda Campo Saavedra.

The Secretary of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Cecilia Álvarez-Correa Glen recently made public their personal relationship ^[7]

References

1. "Gina Parody oficializó su renuncia". Vanguardia Liberal. 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
2. "Gina Parody". Directory of Women Experts. Hunt Alternatives Fund. 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
3. "Gina María Parody D'Echeona" (in Spanish). Congreso Visible. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
4. "Marcos Cortés: el santandereano que reemplazará a Gina Parody" (in Spanish). Bucaramanga - Colombia: Vanguardia.com. January 20, 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
5. "Gina Parody lanzó su candidatura a la Alcaldía de Bogotá" (in Spanish). Bogotá - Colombia: eltiempo.com. May 16, 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
6. http://www.mineducacion.gov.co/cvn/1665/w3-article-344684.html

External links

• (Spanish) Gina Parody official website