Wikipedia

First Lady of Colombia

First Lady of Colombia (First Lady of the Nation) is a title typically held by the wife of the president of Colombia, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never been codified or officially defined, she figures prominently in the political and social life of Colombia.[1] The first lady of Colombia traditionally acts as the hostess of the Casa de Nariño. Historically, when a president has been unmarried or a widower, he has usually asked a relative to act as Casa de Nariño hostess.

First Lady of Colombia
since 7 August 2022
StyleMrs. Alcocer
Madam First Lady
AbbreviationFLOCO
ResidenceCasa de Nariño
Inaugural holderSoledad Román de Núñez
Formation4 June 1887
(139 years ago) (1887-06-04)
WebsiteOfficial website

Although the residence has always had domestic staff, since the beginning of the 20th century, the First Lady has been assisted by her events team, which over the years has grown to include a secretary general, under the direction of the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic, thus forming the Office of the First Lady.[2][3]

Since the 1900s, the role of first lady has changed considerably. It has come to include involvement in political campaigns, management of the Casa de Nariño, championship of social causes, and representation of the president at official and ceremonial occasions. Additionally, over the years individual first ladies have held influence in a range of sectors, from fashion to public opinion on policy, as well as advocacy for female empowerment. The current first lady, since August 7, 2022, is Verónica Alcocer, wife of President Gustavo Petro.

Origins of the title

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Manuela Sáenz, mistress of Bolívar, known as the Liberator of the Liberator.

The use of the title First lady to describe the wife or hostess of an executive originated in the United States.[4] Meanwhile, in the early days of the republic in Colombia, there was no generally accepted title for the president's wife. Although the president's wife already acted as hostess of San Carlos Palace, the title is often described as existing only in a tactical sense.[5] [6] However, many of the wives of presidents in the states that preceded present-day Colombia were addressed according to their social or familial position, and were often called "Doña," "Lady," or "Mrs. with the suffix de followed by [President's Last Name]". [5] Manuela Sáenz was often called "Manuelita" due to the customs of the time, where the suffix "-ta" was added affectionately for a woman who appeared young.[7][8] One of the first uses of the term "First Lady" was in a 1934 newspaper article published by Cromos magazine. Its author analyzed how María Michelsen de López had dressed during the presidential inauguration of her husband, Alfonso López Pumarejo.[4][9]

Soledad Román de Núñez, wife of the 1st President of Colombia Rafael Núñez.

Shortly after 1946, the title began to be used in Bogotá's social circles. The first person addressed with this title during her presidency was Bertha Hernández de Ospina, wife of Mariano Ospina Pérez. The national radio station Radio Nacional de Colombia used the phrase to describe her during its live coverage of that year's presidential inauguration, in which her family and her role in her husband's political career were discussed. Another known early written example comes from Helen Delpar's 1900 article, Red Against Blue: The Liberal Party in Colombian Politics, 1863 – 1899," in which she referred to Rafael Núñez's political reforms and the influence of "the First Lady of Colombia," referring to Soledad Román de Núñez.[10][7][8][11] The title gained national recognition for the first time in 1956, when Cromos magazine continued to refer to presidents' wives as "the First Lady of the Nation" in its articles about the presidential inauguration.[10][12][13]

Non-spouse in the role

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The title can be held officially by a woman not the wife of a president, to date only a woman not the wife of a president has served as first lady, this happens when the president is single or widowed, or when the president's wife cannot fulfill the duties of first lady. In this case, the position has been occupied by a relative of the president, such as María Antonia Suárez, daughter of Marco Fidel Suárez.[14]

Potential male title

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Each of the 37[A] presidents of Colombia have been men, and all have either had their wives, or a female hostess, assume the role of first lady. Thus, a male equivalent of the title of first lady has never been needed.

In 2002, as Noemí Sanín became the second woman to win a major party's presidential nomination, questions were raised as to what her husband Javier Aguirre would be titled if she were to win the presidency. During the campaign, the title of First Gentleman of Colombia was most frequently suggested for Javier Aguirre. In addition, regional leaders' male spouses are typically called the first gentleman of their respective place (for example, Óscar Palacio was the first gentleman of San Andrés, while his wife, Susanie Davis, served as governor). Ultimately, Noemí Sanín lost the election, rendering this a moot point.[15][16][17]

In 2018, Marta Lucía Ramírez took office as vice president, making her husband Álvaro Rincón the first male spouse of a nationally elected officeholder in Colombia. Rincón assumed the title of second gentleman of Colombia ("gentleman" replacing "lady" in the title) making it likely that any future male spouse of a president will be given the title of first gentleman.

Role

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The position of the first lady is unofficial, it is not an elected one, carries no official duties, and receives no salary. Nonetheless, first ladies have held a highly visible position in Colombian society. The role of the first lady has evolved over the years, but she is, first and foremost, the spouse of the president.[18][19]

Until 1886, the first lady did not have any type of recognition or influence on Colombian political life. According to article 188 of the Constitution of Colombia established by the Constitutional Court of Colombia, before the public administration the first lady will hold the title of private citizen, although she is given an additional special role, being the wife of the president, along with this he would symbolically embody the idea of national unity.[20] Until 1979, the first lady held the position of President of the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare,[21] a position that had been held by the president's wife since its foundation in 1968.[22] For its part, Law 7 of 1979 establishes that the first lady will remain linked to the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare,[20] without specific functions in a purely honorary manner.[20]

Since 2010, the first lady has represented the president on foreign trips[23] under the status of ambassador on special mission.[24]

Causes and initiatives

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First Lady Verónica Alcocer during the event to eradicate sexual violence in childhood.

Since the 1920s, many first ladies have become public speakers, adopting specific causes. It also became common for the first lady to hire a staff to support her agenda. Recent causes of the first lady are:

See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ Rafael Núñez, Alfonso López Pumarejo and Alberto Lleras Camargo each served two presidencies and, as such, are counted twice. Here, "presidents" refers to the 37 people who have held the office and not the 40 presidencies that have been elected.

References

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  1. ↑ En Colombia, la expresión se habría utilizado por primera vez el 8 de agosto de 1934, para designar a María Michelsen (en ese entonces esposa de Alfonso López Pumarejo) a quien se llamó la Primera Dama de Colombia. Bank of the Republic. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  2. ↑ "Concepto 015491 de 2020 Departamento Administrativo de la Función Pública, Primera Dama de la Nacíon". Función Publica. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  3. ↑ "¿Qué hace la primera dama en Colombia? Funciones y responsabilidades del cargo". AS Colombia. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  4. 1 2 Osorio Parras, Zenaida (August 1996). "Primeras Damas: Historia de un Concepto". Credencial Historia (in Spanish) (80). Bogotá. ISSN 0121-3296. OCLC 39236834. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  5. 1 2 Bushnell, David; Langley, Lester D, eds. (2008). "Simón Bolívar: A Chronology". Simón Bolívar: Essays on the Life and Legacy of the Liberator. Latin American silhouettes. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. p. xiii. ISBN 9780742556195. OCLC 180907774. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  6. ↑ Triviño Anzola, Consuelo. "Manuela Sáenz, la Libertadora del Libertador" (in Spanish). Madrid: Instituto Cervantes. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  7. 1 2 Berman, Paul (5 April 2013). "Founding Father". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  8. 1 2 Carroll, Rory (1 July 2010). "Simón Bolívar's lover gains heroine status". The Guardian. Caracas. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  9. ↑ "Damas de Primera: María Michelsen Lombana". Fucsia (in Spanish). Bogotá. 25 August 2010. ISSN 0124-857X. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  10. 1 2 Delpar, Helen (1981). Red Against Blue: The Liberal Party in Colombian Politics, 1863 – 1899. University of Alabama Press. p. 128. ISBN 9780817356156. OCLC 658157817. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  11. ↑ Grant, Will (5 July 2010). "Venezuela honours Simon Bolivar's lover Manuela Saenz". Caracas. BBC News. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  12. ↑ Henderson, James D; Delpar, Helen; Brungardt, Maurice Philip; et al., eds. (2000). A Reference Guide to Latin American History. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe. p. 507. ISBN 9781563247446. OCLC 41185126. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  13. ↑ Castillo Mathieu, Nicolás del (January 1991). "Rafael Núñez, el Regenerador (1825–1894)". Credencial Historia (13). Bogotá. ISSN 0121-3296. OCLC 39236834. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  14. ↑ "Las cuatro mujeres del expresidente Marco Fidel Suárez". Semana. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  15. ↑ "Fórmula amorosa de los candidatos presidenciales". Jet-Set (in Spanish). Bogotá. 2010. ISSN 0123-7918. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  16. ↑ "Familias con rumbo a la Casa de Nariño". El Universal (in Spanish). Cartagena, Bolívar. 30 May 2010. ISSN 0122-6843. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  17. ↑ Cortés Castillo, Carlos. "Noemí, la política diplomática" (in Spanish). Bogotá. La Silla Vacía. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "¿Cuáles son las funciones de la primera dama en Colombia?". semana.com. 26 September 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  19. ↑ "¿Qué funciones cumple la primera dama en Colombia?". Blu Radio. 25 September 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  20. 1 2 3 Colombia, Constitutional Court (1993). "Sentencia No. C-537/93" (in Spanish). Bogotá: Constitutional Court of Colombia. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  21. ↑ Colombia, Congress (30 December 1968). "Ley 75 de 1968". Diario Oficial (in Spanish) (32, 682). Bogotá. ISSN 0122-2112. OCLC 500057889. Archived from the original on 9 July 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  22. ↑ Colombia, Congress (24 January 1979). "Ley 7 de 1979". Diario Oficial (in Spanish) (35, 191). Bogotá. ISSN 0122-2112. OCLC 500057889. Retrieved 8 July 2013.[permanent dead link]
  23. ↑ Rodríguez, Jhordan C. (30 September 2022). "Las veces que las primeras damas han sido embajadoras especiales del gobierno". El Espectador. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  24. ↑ Charry, Juan Manuel (10 October 2022). "Primera dama, embajadora en misión especial". Ámbito Juridico. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ríos Peñaloza, Gilma (August 1996). "Primeras Damas del Siglo XX". Credencial Historia (in Spanish) (80). Bogotá. ISSN 0121-3296. OCLC 39236834. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Garzón, Angélica; Santos Molano, Enrique (3 August 2011). "Crónica: Damas de primera". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Bogotá. ISSN 0121-9987. OCLC 28894254. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  27. ↑ Arias, Andrés (7 February 2012). "María Clemencia Rodríguez de Santos: "Quisiera tener una varita mágica para solucionar los problemas de la gente"". Revista Credencial. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  28. ↑ "Así describió la Primera Dama, María Juliana Ruiz, su gestión". RTVC Noticias. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.

Further reading

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