Female Officers Achieve High Ranking Positions in Latin American Security Forces W. Alejandro Sanchez - VOXXI
go to original August 23, 2013

Colombian Police Generals from left to right, Gen. Francisco Patino, Gen. Luz Marina Bustos and Gen. Yesid Vasquez salute during a promotion ceremony at a police academy in Bogota, Friday, June 5, 2009. Bustos is the first woman to be promoted to general in Colombia. (AP/Fernando Vergara)

In a sign of a shift towards greater gender-equality in Latin America, it is common nowadays to find female presidents in the region, which helps fight the culture of machismo that Latin America has historically been known for.

Additionally, it is worth noting that in recent months, female officers have achieved high-ranking posts within their country’s security forces (both in the armed forces and police).

A positive step in women’s rights development

Within the past year, the governments Bolivia, Colombia and Venezuela have promoted female officers to important security posts. For example, in July 2012, the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez promoted Carmen Melendez de Maniglia to the rank of Admiral; making her the first female Venezuelan citizen to be appointed to this position.

Moreover, this past July, Admiral Melendez was named by President Nicolas Maduro as the new Minister of Defense (she is also the first woman to hold this position).  Furthermore, this past May in Bolivia, President Evo Morales promoted Gina Reque Teran as the landlocked nation’s first female General of the Bolivian Army.

It is not just ALBA nations that are making important progressive achievements regarding gender equality in security agencies. In mid-August, General Luz Marina Bustos was named as the deputy director of the Colombian police. As with the aforementioned Bolivian and Venezuelan examples, this is the first time that a female Colombian police officer has received this distinguished appointment.

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