Gina Parody

Gina María Parody d'Echeona (born November 13, 1973) 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.

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.