Council of Ministers of the Republic of Colombia

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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's a cabinet of advicers to the President of Colombia.

1 History

[edit] History

[edit] 1800s

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.

[edit] 1900

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 40's were created:

Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs
Ministry of Mines and Petroleum

In the 50's the name of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs was changed to Telecomunications, and Public Works to Transportation and Public Works.

In the 60's 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 70's the name of the Ministry of War was changed to 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 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.

[edit] 2000s

Alvaro Uribe

During the first term of President Alvaro 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: