Who's Who in the Santos Cabinet

During a runoff election, Juan Manuel Santos won the Colombian presidency by an ample majority. After the August 7 inauguration, he will also govern with one of the strongest congressional mandates in history. Moreover, his cabinet will represent a reshaping of policy compared to that of predecessor President Álvaro Uribe, not just because Santos decided to separate ministries unified by Uribe, but also due to the new set of priorities the president-elect plans to bring to Casa Nariño.

After eight years in power during which he maintained high approval ratings, Uribe hands over the reins to his former defense minister. In terms of public safety, Santos will lead a country that saw kidnappings drop from 2,882 in 2002 to 213 in 2009. Official figures also show that terrorist acts dropped from 1,645 in 2002 to 486 last year. Economically, Colombia’s GDP has more than doubled while foreign direct investment has more than tripled. Many observers attribute these results to Uribe’s “democratic security” policy, which aimed to restore rule of law in Colombia.

Despite these positive indicators, the new administration also faces challenges. Colombia’s unemployment rate runs at 13 percent  while 49.2 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Given the improved security situation, Santos promises a new agenda. “I can now have different priorities, and mine are not security,” said the president-elect in an interview with the Financial Times. “They are more to do with jobs and the fight against poverty.”

Santos’ cabinet picks demonstrate the new tack toward a policy dubbed “democratic prosperity.” The president-elect incorporated proposals from candidates defeated in the first round of the presidential elections, opening political space for Uribe’s opposition. Moreover, Santos chose to separate ministries merged by Uribe when Colombia faced budget constraints, including justice, environment, health, and labor.  For observers, one thing is clear: Santos’ current and future cabinet picks will be technocrats.

Top posts include:

• Finance: Juan Carlos Echeverry served as a cabinet member alongside Santos during President Andrés Pastrana’s government (1998-2002) and they worked together in key labor and tax reforms. The next finance minister holds a doctorate in economics from New York University and has experience with Colombia’s Central Bank. La Silla Vacía describes him as an “orthodox economist who has always defended fiscal stability.” His task? Achieve the annual 10 percent GDP growth pledged by Santos. His plan? Decrease the fiscal deficit by using the increased tax revenue derived from the expected oil and mining sectors boom, reduce government spending, and formalize three million jobs without raising taxes. Ahead of the inauguration, Echeverry also revealed a plan to mitigate economic fallout caused by Venezuela’s decision to block Colombian imports that involves aid for Colombian border areas financially harmed by the rift.
• Foreign Relations: María Angela Holguin worked as an ambassador to the UN and Venezuela, Colombia’s second biggest commercial partner after the United States. Her appointment demonstrates Santos’ interest in a rapprochement with Ecuador and Venezuela. Ties with the two countries have been shaky since a Colombian raid on a guerilla camp inside Ecuadoran territory. Relations with Caracas took another bad turn recently when Colombia unveiled evidence that Venezuela provides safe haven to Revolulutionary Armed Forces of Colombia camps.
• Defense: Rodrigo Rivera is a former senator and a member of the Liberal Party and also has a background as a journalist and author. The next defense minister announced he intends to "continue deepening the progress made in security” and follow Uribe’s “democratic security” policy. Previously, Rivera worked as a liaison between the office of the president and the ministry of interior and justice and observers note that he has a close relationship with Uribe.
• Interior: German Vargas Lleras, who finished third in the first round of the presidential race as the Radical Change party’s candidate, will be in charge of negotiating Santos’ projects in Congress. His main tasks involve creating the new, separated ministries and advancing Colombian judicial reform. Vargas is considered one of Santos’ more controversial appointments as he comes from Uribe’s political opposition. Nonetheless, the next interior minister expressed his desire to work with all political forces and in favor of Santos’ goals.

Additional ministers appointed include: Germán Cardona for the transport post, Sandra Bessudo for environment, Juan Camilo Restrepo for agriculture, Carlos Rodado for mines and energy, Sergio Díaz-Granados for trade, Beatriz Uribe for housing and development, Mauricio Santamaría for social protection, and María Fernanda Campos for education.

Finally, analysts predict a difference in the way Santos will handle democratic institutions compared to his predecessor. Semana says that, during the Uribe administration, “many of the legitimate goals of the government were achieved at the price of deconstructing democratic institutions.” In contrast, argues political scientist Juan Fernando Londoño, Santos has long defended democratic institutions and political parties as the cornerstone of good government.

Learn more:

• La Silla Vacía explores Santos’ strong political mandate, extending from congress to municipalities, as well as differences between his and Uribe’s policies.
• Infolatam analysis on the president-elect’s crafting of policies, described as “santismo.”
• Cabinet member profiles in La Republica.
• Colombia Reports on proposal to provide economic aid to border areas near Venezuela.