Susana Correa, Colombia's new Minister of Housing

From the questioned performance of the reconstruction of Providencia following Hurricane Iota, which failed to meet the goal set by the president to achieve it in 100 days, Susana Correa, manager of that process, will replace Jonathan Malagón in the Ministry of Housing.

President Iván Duque announced the decision during the 102nd Building Country Workshop that took place in Pradera, Valle del Cauca, where he informed that Malagón submitted his resignation on Tuesday, March 22, due to academic and family commitments, the president accepted it and took the decision to place in that portfolio for the remaining months to Strap.

“I want to share with the Valley who will be the replacement of Minister Jonathan Malagón, a person who has also worked for reconstruction, who has worked for the improvement of housing to be a matter of dignity. I want to announce that the new Minister of Housing is Dr. Susana Correa,” said the president.

Duque said that Correa has “with luxury” developed the reconstruction of Providencia and Santa Catalina after Hurricane Iota that swept the islands of the archipelago in November 2020, although he acknowledged that it is a pending task for his government.

“This news given in my department fills me with emotion but above all with commitment. You know that since November 7, 2018 we have been accompanying you in your government and that we will continue to be there and where you designate we will be doing the same task, with the same responsibility, the same discipline,” Correa said in response to the appointment.

Malagón celebrated as the achievement of his administration the country's recognition by the United Nations as number 1 in housing commercialization. He assured that he will now assume the most important position of all: “changing diapers” because together with his wife they are expecting a baby about to be born.

Susana Correa has been a key player in Iván Duque's government. She was a senator of the Democratic Center from 2014 to 2018 where she won the seat for her 5th place on the party list. He then campaigned for the current president and from the start he was part of his team.

He was a member of the joint committee, in which according to Caracol Radio he was described as a “despot” by outgoing officials, who he said they had done nothing. He then went on to occupy the Department of Social Prosperity, which was key in the administration of subsidies during the pandemic, such as solidarity income or Colombia Mayor or the VAT refund.

After that position, in November 2020, when the tragedy of Hurricane Iota occurred, the president appointed Correa as manager of his “Plan 100″ for the reconstruction of the San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina archipelago.

The name was attributed to the goal of achieving the greatest progress in reconstruction in the next three months, but after a year, only a little more than 50 per cent was achieved. After that first breach, the month of March was established as the end of the works, but the announcement has not yet been made.

By November 2021, one year after the disaster, the figures delivered, according to the newspaper El Espectador, corresponded to 54% in housing reconstruction and only 37% had been given new houses. Likewise, the repair of the island's hospital had not begun, which was expected in March 2022, according to Correa herself.

According to the Presidency, quoted by the newspaper Portafolio, the goal was to build 1,787 houses in Providencia, of which 877 were repaired and 910 were new. Of which 962 had been delivered by November, the rest would be completed by this month of March.

KEEP READING: