Caleña, engineer, doctor, mother of two children and, now, very close to being the second vice president in the history of Colombia at the hands of the former mayor Bucaramanga. Both reached the second round with almost six million votes
Marelen Castillo, the academic who in less than six months became Rodolfo Hernández’s vice-presidential formula. PHOTO: Colprensa
After the journalist Paola Ochoa declined her aspiration to the vice presidency of Colombia as Rodolfo Hernández’s formula, the Engineer had to look for someone else. It was then that Marelen Castillo arrived. Infobae Colombia tells you, who really is this woman who until a few months ago had no relationship with politics?
From academia to being very close to the Casa de Nariño
Rodolfo Hernández chose Marelen Castillo, an academic and researcher, as his right hand for the presidency of Colombia. Born 53 years ago in the La Base neighborhood, in Cali (Valle del Cauca), this fervent Catholic – like the engineer, the first point in common – has dedicated her whole life to educating herself, to study. She graduated as a chemist and biologist from the Santiago de Cali University, but also studied industrial engineering at the Western Autonomous University.
Her university career did not end there and she rose to become the rector in charge of the Lumen Gentium Catholic University Foundation, but not before obtaining her master’s degree in Administration from the Tecnológico de Monterrey and becoming a doctor in Education with an emphasis on Educational Leadership.
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In Bogotá, the Minuto de Dios University Corporation welcomed her as its new home: in her career as an administrator. She was vice-chancellor and, later, she became rector of Uniminuto Virtual y a Distancia. Until then, everything was focused on educational life, surrounded by study, degrees, knowledge and universities. She had had no contact with politics until, less than three months ago, she received a call.
The engineer’s call
The oratory of Marelen CastilloIt was one of the characteristics that most caught the attention of the rector of Uniminuto who, without her realizing it, sent her resume to Rodolfo Hernández. He thought that her speech should go beyond the classroom and transcend the political scene, the former mayor of Bucaramanga had the same criteria and was interested in her to go inch by inch towards the Casa de Nariño. Before, he had offered to be his formula to many women in the country, and, with the resignation of Paola Ochoa, the urgency to look for an outstanding female figure grew.
Castillo, who had barely After hearing Hernández’s name, as well as his tenure as mayor of the Santander capital, he agreed to be his right-hand man, focusing his campaign on education and, how could it be otherwise, replicating much of of the engineer’s ‘anti-corruption’ discourse. He resorted to his rhetoric and the extensive time spent in the academy to adorn the proposals of the Piedecuesta-born who, moreover, are unknown in some issues.
The independence of Uribismo is his flag: “We want to take care of Colombians’ cents so that the money reaches us and we can respond to all the country’s needs. Today we are a different opportunity for the country”, she expressed in a debate of vice-presidential candidates made by Semana, and now, she is very close to being the second vice president in the history of Colombia.