Council of Ministers of the Republic of Colombia

The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Colombia is part of the executive power, and according to the presidential orientation of the Colombian Constitution of 1991, it is a cabinet of advisors to the President of Colombia.

History

19th century

In the Constitution of 1821, Simón Bolívar created a Cabinet with 5 members called Secretaries:

*Secretary of the Interior
*Secretary of the Exterior (Foreign Affairs and Trade)
*Secretary of the Marine
*Secretary of War
*Secretary of Finance and Public Credit

With time, areas of some secretaries were given to new institutions, like in the mid 1800s when was created the Secretary of Trade, depriving of that function to the Secretary of the Exterior (then renamed to Foreign Affairs).

In 1886, President Rafael Nuñez the name of the Secretaries was changed to Ministries, and new ones were created, so, in the beginning of the 20th century, after the Thousand Days War, the Council of ministers was composed of:

*Ministry of the Government
*Ministry of Justice
*Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Chancellor)
*Ministry of War
*Ministry of Finance and Public Credit
*Ministry of Education

The Secretary of Trade disappeared, its assignments were transferred to the Viceministry of Development, under the control of the Minister of Finance.

20th century

In the mid 1930s President Alfonso López Pumarejo, to develop his social and agrarian reforms created:

*Ministry of Public Health
*Ministry of Labour
*Ministry of Agriculture

And for his infrastructure proyects to boost employment:

*Ministry of Public Works

In the 1940s were created:

*Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs
*Ministry of Mines and Petroleum

In the 1950s the name of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs was changed to Telecomunications, and Public Works to Transportation and Public Works.

In the 1960s was created the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the name of Ministry of Mines was changed to Ministry of Mines and Energy.

In the 1970s the name of the Ministry of War was changed to Ministry of Defense.

In the 1990 were created several ministries to keep up with the reforms of liberalization of President César Gaviria:

*Ministry of Economic Development
*Ministry of the Environment
*Ministry of Trade
*Ministry of Culture

In 1996 the name of the Ministry of Government changed to Ministry of Interior. And the maximum number of ministries in the history of the council was achieved:

*Ministry of the Interior
*Ministry of Finance and Public Credit
*Ministry of Justice and Law
*Ministry of Defense
*Ministry of Health and Social Security
*Ministry of Labour
*Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
*Ministry of Trade
*Ministry of Education
*Ministry of Mines and Energy
*Ministry of Transport
*Ministry of Telecomunications
*Ministry of the Environment and Housing
*Ministry of Economic Development
*Ministry of Culture.

2000s

Álvaro Uribe

During the first term of President Álvaro Uribe, beginning in 2002 Ministries were restructured. The Presidentclosed and merged ministries to reduce bureaucracy while assigning duties of suppressed ministries to Administrative Departments. Currently the Council of Ministers is composed of:

Ministry of the Interior and Justice

merged Justice into the Interior ministry

Ministry of Finance and Public Credit

=Ministry of Foreign Affairs=

=Ministry of National Defense=

Ministry of Social Protection

Merging Health and Labour to create a single ministry

=Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development=

Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism

Renamed absorbing DA's

=Ministry of National Education=

Ministry of Mines and Energy

=Ministry of Transport=

Ministry of Telecomunications

Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Regional Development

Absorbing Development

Ministry of Culture

External links

*es icon [http://www.mininterior.gov.co/ Ministry of Interior and Justice]
*es icon [http://www.minrelext.gov.co/ Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
*es icon [http://www.minhacienda.gov.co/ Ministry of Finances and Public Credit]
*es icon [http://www.mindefensa.gov.co/ Minsitry of National Defence]
*es icon [http://www.minagricultura.gov.co/ Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development]
*es icon [http://www.minproteccionsocial.gov.co/ Ministry of Social Security]
*es icon [http://www.minminas.gov.co/ Ministry of Mines and Energy]
*es icon [http://www.mincomercio.gov.co/ Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism]
*es icon [http://www.mineducacion.gov.co/ Ministry of National Education]
*es icon [http://www.minambiente.gov.co/ Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development]
*es icon [http://www.mincomunicaciones.gov.co/ Ministry of Communications]
*es icon [http://www.mintransporte.gov.co/ Ministry of Transport]
*es icon [http://www.mincultura.gov.co/ Ministry of Culture]