Gloria Inés Ramírez will be in charge of the Ministry of Labor, as confirmed this Saturday by the president-elect, Gustavo Petro, who defined her as “a defender of human rights and the demands of workers.” In addition, the next head of state stressed that the one she appointed “has fought for women’s rights and gender equality.”
The information that she brought to Congress —during her days as a senator (2006 to 2014)— indicates that was born in Philadelphia, Caldas, in 1956 and has worked as a teacher. She has a degree in physics and mathematics from the Technological University of Pereira.
She is considered a history of the left in Colombia, since from a very young age she joined the movements and parties of this political current. Currently, he is a leader of the Communist Party and the Teachers. Likewise, she has a history in the country’s trade union field, as she was president of the Colombian Federation of Educators (Fecode) and was a member of the executive committee of the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT).
Incidence in initiatives
During his time in the Senate, he participated in different initiatives with a social focus. It is known that he gave his approval to the project that sought to create a Legal Commission for the Equity of Women. Likewise, it promoted the inclusion of the economy of the care economy (referring to work in the home) in the system of national accounts.
He also had interference in the project to guarantee social security in professional risks of independent workers, who until then, were excluded from the system.
Controversy over “Farcpolitics”
In December 2008, Gloria Inés Ramírez was notified by the Attorney General’s Office that a preliminary investigation had been opened. by the framework known as the “Farcpolitics”. As reported by the Public Ministry at the time, this had its origin in the information contained in the computers of Raúl Reyes, a guerrilla leader killed in a military operation.
In the documentation found, mention and reference were made to her and also to Senator Piedad Córdoba, as well as to the representative of the Chamber Wilson Borja; thus suggesting a possible close relationship with the armed organization.
Nevertheless, the Supreme Court did not find sufficient merits to continue the investigation against Ramírez, who declared at that time that “his involvement in the “Farcpolitics” was a set-up by the Prosecutor’s Office.
In accordance with the proposals made in the campaign by Gustavo Petro, the next head of Labor would have to face the challenge of a pension reformsince the idea expressed during those days was to increase the coverage of the system.