These Are the New Ministers of the Bolivian Government

"We conform a cabinet at the height of all challenges. We used the best we had to work for the country," said the Bolivian leader during the ceremony held at the Casa Grande del Pueblo, in the capital of La Paz.

"We are seeing hunger, we are seeing a health crisis that has deepened the structures of poverty in our country, and we have an educational crisis that deserves everyone's attention," said the head of the executive.

RELATED: 

Thousands of People Continue to Cheer Evo's Return to Bolivia

According to information published on teleSUR, these are the profiles of the new ministers of Bolivia:

Rogelio Mayta - Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mayta ran for senator in the 2019 elections. A lawyer by profession, he is 48 years old. During his career as a jurist, we must mention his performance as a defender of the victims of the Black October Massacre of 2003 in the city of El Alto. His entry into politics coincided with his candidacy for Senator's position for the Department of La Paz representing the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) during the 2019 elections.

Marianela Prada - Minister of the Presidency

Prada is the first woman to head the Ministry of the Presidency in Bolivia. Prada was born in the department of Santa Cruz and is the daughter of the former president of the Chamber of Deputies, Betty Tejada, and the former chief of police of Santa Cruz, Ramón Prada. She has a degree in International Relations and has been a member of the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) since 2005. She was Chief of Cabinet at the Ministry of Economy during the administration of then Minister Luis Arce. She is the first woman to head the Ministry of the Presidency.

Carlos Del Castillo del Carpio - Minister of Government

A lawyer, Del Castillo had served as a senior officer in the Senate during the past MAS administration.

Edmundo Novillo - Minister of Defense

A former Governor of the Department of Cochabamba, Novillo, was born in 1963 in the town of Totora, department of Cochabamba. A lawyer and politician in the ranks of the Movement to Socialism (MAS), he was a councilman of the municipality of Totora and later mayor for three administrations, departmental councilor of Cochabamba, and a single-member deputy of the MAS. He was also President of the Chamber of Deputies from 2005 to 2009. Novillo won the first elections for governors in 2010, becoming the Governor of the Department of Cochabamba.

Felima Gabriela Mendoza - Minister of Development Planning

Expert in the management and design of public policies, Mendoza is was an official of the Ministry of Economy under Arce. She was part of Banco Unión's board of directors but resigned, together with the other directors, after the case of embezzlement from the Bank was uncovered. In 2019 she took over as Director of the Chuquiago Marka fairground.

Marcelo Montenegro Gomez - Minister of Economy and Public Finance

Montenegro Gomez directed the Economic Research Institute of the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés. He was also head of the Unit of Analysis and Fiscal Studies of the Ministry of Economy. He served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Banco de Desarrollo Productivo- Sociedad Anónima Mixta (BDP -SAM) since 2017. Until his assignment, he has served as Director of the Economic Research Institute of the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés.

Edgar Montaño - Minister of Public Works, Services and Housing

An industrial engineer by profession and MAS lawmaker, Montaño represents the party for the department of Santa Cruz. He was president of the 9th district, in the south zone. He is an active member of the Society of Engineers and is 49 years old.  

Ramiro Félix Villavicencio - Minister of Mining and Metallurgy

A metallurgical entrepreneur with vast experience in the sector, he has served as general manager of the metallurgical company, Vinto.

Iván Lima Magne - Minister of Justice and Institutional Transparency

A Magistrate of the Supreme Court of Justice graduated with honors from the Bolivian Catholic University and the Bolivian Institute of the Judiciary. He holds the title of Instructing Judge and Master of Laws. He was a legal advisor to the Commander in Chief of the Bolivian Armed Forces. He has also held the position of Director of Criminal Policy at the Vice-Ministry of Justice, General Director of Public Defense and Human Rights. In May 2014, he was appointed by President Evo Morales as a substitute liquidating judge. 

Verónica Patricia Navia - Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Welfare

Navia is a sociologist by training and a political analyst and state advisor for the MAS party.

Edgar Pozo Valdivia - Minister of Health

A member of the Latin American Society of Interventional Cardiology, Pozo Valdivia, is a specialist in interventional cardiology and hemodynamics. He carried out professional studies at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés and postgraduate studies at the Instituto Nacional de Tórax in La Paz - Bolivia, at the Universidad Católica de Chile, and the Fundación Favaloro in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is a member of the Bolivian Society of Cardiology and the Latin American Society of Interventional Cardiology, and other health institutions. He has currently served as director of the National Thoracic Institute.

Juan Santos Cruz - Minister of Environment and Water

A Leader of the livestock and farming sector in the department of Pando, Santos Cruz is a native of the department of Pando, where he was President of the Federation of Peasant Farmers of Pando (Fedgacam). He was also former Secretary and President of the Justice Commission of the Bolivian Farmworkers' Union Confederation (CSUTCB).

Rubén Quelca Tarqui - Minister of Education, Sports and Culture

He has been a leader in the educational sector in Bolivia. A teacher by training, he was also President of the Confederation of Urban Teachers. 

Wilson Cáceres Cárdenas - Minister of Rural Development and Lands

Cáceres Cárdenas has been a leader of the Departmental Federation of Intercultural Affairs in Santa Cruz.

Franklin Molina Ortiz - Minister of Hydrocarbons

Molina Ortiz served as Deputy Minister of Energy Development between 2010 and 2015. He was also the Head of Planning at ATT (Telecommunications and Transport Regulatory Authority) from 2009 and 2010.

Néstor Huanca - Minister of Productive Development and Plural Economy

Huanca has served as Vice-Minister in charge of industrial production. He was also formerly a Director at the Ministry of Productive Development.