María Emma Mejía Vélez
Encyclopedia
María Emma Mejía Vélez (born 27 September 1953) is a Colombian
journalist
and politician who has served as Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs
, Minister of National Education
, and Ambassador to Spain
. She currently works as Executive President of the Pies Descalzos Foundation
, a charity founded by the Colombian singer-songwriter
Shakira
and collaborates as a journalist in the El Radar a Colombian investigative television news program that airs in Caracol TV
.
Vélez succeeded Néstor Kirchner
of Argentina
following his death
to become the 2nd Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations.
, Antioquia.
After graduating from the Gimnasio Los Pinares high school
in Medellín, on November 1971, she worked for a short time as a fashion model. She went on to study Social communication
at the Pontifical Bolivarian University
, from where she did not graduate, to go on sabbatical to London
where she held various jobs including working for the Colombian Consulate and the BBC
. While at London she also studied cinematography
and television
which lead her to direct two films by the age of 23.
On her return to Colombia Fernando Gómez Agudelo, a pioneer of the Colombian television industry, named her assistant to the writer and director Bernardo Romero Pereiro.
named her Director of the Cinematographic Fomenting Company (FOCINE) making this her first public post. Her work as Director of FOCINE was seen as successful for achieving greater State support for the Film Industry of Colombia
, but at the same time her success was criticized for only benefiting a few group of film producers.
, and it was his assassination which drove her to become more politically active, this time working with the presidential electoral campaign of César Gaviria Trujillo as Secretary General of the campaign. After the election, Gaviria Trujillo named her as head of the Presidential Security Advisory Council on Medellín.
As head of this advisory council she was faced with a barrage of existing and growing problems that included the violent rule of Pablo Escobar
that had transformed Medellín into a battle field of car bombs explosions, drug trade
, and shanty towns.
Colombian people
Colombian people are from a multiethnic Spanish speaking nation in South America called Colombia. Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and are a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians.-Demography:...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and politician who has served as Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Colombia)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also known as the Chancellery, is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia responsible for the foreign relations of Colombia through its diplomatic missions abroad by formulating foreign policy relevant to the matters of the State, it is...
, Minister of National Education
Ministry of National Education (Colombia)
The Ministry of National Education is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia responsible for overseeing the instruction and education of the Colombian people, similar to education ministries in other countries.-List of Ministers:...
, and Ambassador to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. She currently works as Executive President of the Pies Descalzos Foundation
Pies Descalzos Foundation
Pies Descalzos Foundation is a Colombian charity founded by pop artist Shakira in 1997. with the aim of helping poor and impoverished children....
, a charity founded by the Colombian singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
and collaborates as a journalist in the El Radar a Colombian investigative television news program that airs in Caracol TV
Caracol TV
Caracol Televisión is a Colombian private national television network, owned by Julio Mario Santo Domingo.- History :Caracol Televisión started in 1954 when Organización de Radiodifusora Caracol offered to afford national television costs, then state-run, through commercial spots...
.
Vélez succeeded Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Carlos Kirchner was an Argentine politician who served as the 54th President of Argentina from 25 May 2003 until 10 December 2007. Previously, he was Governor of Santa Cruz Province since 10 December 1991. He briefly served as Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations ...
of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
following his death
Death and state funeral of Néstor Kirchner
Argentina's former President and Secretary General of UNASUR, Néstor Kirchner, died of heart failure on the morning of 27 October 2010 at the Jose Formenti hospital in El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province at the age of 60. At 9:15, first aid procedures that were used to keep him alive proved...
to become the 2nd Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations.
Background
María Emma Mejía Vélez was born to Luis Mejía Arango and Sofía Vélez Pérez on 27 September 1953 in MedellínMedellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
, Antioquia.
After graduating from the Gimnasio Los Pinares high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Medellín, on November 1971, she worked for a short time as a fashion model. She went on to study Social communication
Social communication
The term social communication refers to using the so-called social media. However there is no standardised definition yet recognised. Generally communication requires a social nexus of at least two entities in a technical or just social relation...
at the Pontifical Bolivarian University
Pontifical Bolivarian University
The Pontifical Bolivarian University , also referred to as UPB, is a private university in Colombia with its main campus in Medellín, where it was founded in 1936. Currently, the university has campuses in other Colombian cities, such as Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Montería and Palmira...
, from where she did not graduate, to go on sabbatical to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where she held various jobs including working for the Colombian Consulate and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. While at London she also studied cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
which lead her to direct two films by the age of 23.
On her return to Colombia Fernando Gómez Agudelo, a pioneer of the Colombian television industry, named her assistant to the writer and director Bernardo Romero Pereiro.
FOCINE
María Emma entered politics thanks to her work as a film director, when President Belisario BetancurBelisario Betancur
Belisario Betancur Cuartas is a Colombian statesman, who as a member of the Colombian Conservative Party was President of Colombia from 1982 to 1986.- Biographic data :...
named her Director of the Cinematographic Fomenting Company (FOCINE) making this her first public post. Her work as Director of FOCINE was seen as successful for achieving greater State support for the Film Industry of Colombia
Cinema of Colombia
Colombian Cinema has struggled to develop as a solid industry throughout its history. During the beginning of the 20th century some production companies tried to maintain a level of constant production but lack of government support and a strong international industry ended up diminishing initiative...
, but at the same time her success was criticized for only benefiting a few group of film producers.
Presidential Advisory Council
After her work in FOCINE she became attracted to the ideas of Luis Carlos GalánLuis Carlos Galán
Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento was a Colombian journalist and liberal politician who ran for the presidency of Colombia on two occasions, the first time representing the Liberal Party in 1982 which he lost to Belisario Betancur...
, and it was his assassination which drove her to become more politically active, this time working with the presidential electoral campaign of César Gaviria Trujillo as Secretary General of the campaign. After the election, Gaviria Trujillo named her as head of the Presidential Security Advisory Council on Medellín.
As head of this advisory council she was faced with a barrage of existing and growing problems that included the violent rule of Pablo Escobar
Pablo Escobar
Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was a Colombian drug lord. He was an elusive cocaine trafficker and rich and successful criminal. He owned numerous luxury residences, automobiles, and even airplanes...
that had transformed Medellín into a battle field of car bombs explosions, drug trade
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
, and shanty towns.