Bogotá.- President-elect of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, announced this Thursday marine biologist and researcher Fabio Arjona Hincapié as Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, continuing the formation of the cabinet that will accompany him starting next August 7th.
Arjona served as Vice President of Resource Development and Sustainability for Latin America at Conservation International and for 24 years led that organization in Colombia, where he spearheaded initiatives for conservation, climate change adaptation, and financing mechanisms for nature protection.
When announcing the appointment, De la Espriella highlighted that the next minister “will contribute to ensuring that the country’s economic development advances hand in hand with the conservation of biodiversity, the protection of water, animal welfare, and nature-based solutions,” taking into account his background as a marine biologist, researcher, and his time in the ministry as former Deputy Minister of Environment.
The presentation of the next minister describes him as “the one who has never abandoned his passion for environmental management and sustainability” and states that “he has never put ideology above responsibility“.
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Arjona was Deputy Minister of Environmental Policy and Regulation between 1997 and 1998 and also served as a World Bank consultant on infrastructure and environmental management projects for several Latin American countries.
In addition, he held positions at the Autonomous Regional Corporation of the Sinú and San Jorge Valleys (CVS), the Urrá Multipurpose Company, and the then-Ministry of the Environment.
The announcement also highlights Arjona’s work with indigenous, Afro-descendant, peasant, and fishing communities, as well as for having promoted the ‘One Million Corals’ initiative, a marine ecosystem restoration program developed in different regions of the country.
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With this announcement, there are now three confirmed names for the upcoming cabinet after De la Espriella revealed that former senator Rodrigo Lara will be his Minister of the Interior and Conservative leader Miguel Gómez Martínez will head the Ministry of Finance.
