In order to continue working for citizen security, reduction of crimes, fight against criminal groups, drug trafficking and illicit plantations, and other crimes, the President of the Republic Iván Duque appointed Diego Molano Aponte as the new Minister of Defense.
Minister of defense Diego Molano
He has more than 25 years of experience in management positions in the public and private sectors.
In his positions in the public sector, Diego Molano has actively participated in the design and implementation of national and territorial security strategies.
He is currently Director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic (DAPRE), a position he leaves to be the new Minister of Defense.
From 2011 to 2019 he was director of the Presidential Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation (today the Department for Social Prosperity).
He also was the Director General of the Colombian Institute of Family Wellbeing (ICBF), from 2011 to 2013. He was Councilman of Bogotá from 2016 to 2019.
Son of military, minister Molano is a business administrator of the Universidad del Rosario and specialist in international integration; he got a master degree in public administration in the Columbia University, in New York.
As Director of DAPRE, he was member of the National Security Councils. The Departments of Stabilization, Security and Human Rights, belong to that institution.
As Director of Social Action, he heavily supported the Democratic Security Policy and promoted the territorial strategy through the Comprehensive Action for Coordination Center (CCAI) to accompany security in the regions with institutional and social work. In addition, he promoted the creation of Mobile Manual Eradication Groups.
In the General Directorate of the ICBF, where he invested a budget of USD 1.4 million and was in charge of 11,000 people, the new Minister of Defense coordinated with the National Police the efforts for the protection of children and adolescents.
As Councilman of Bogotá he promoted, together with the Centro Democrático party, the creation of the District Secretary of Security to implement the policy of security, coexistence and access to justice in the capital city of the country. In addition, he exercised heavy political control over security issues in the city, including microtrafficking.
He was Deputy Director of USAID'S MIDAS program (More Investment for Sustainable Alternative Development).
He has promoted the design and implementation of social programs for overcoming poverty, and also for sustainable development, entrepreneurship and urban development.
He was the best councilman of Bogotá in 2016, because of the Council Program Concejo Cómo Vamos (local review and feedback program).
He received the Harvey Picker Award for outstanding commitment from Columbia University. He received the Juan Luis Londoño De La Cuesta Award granted by Fedesarrollo (education foundation).
He has written publications such as Coordinación Interagencial and Transformación Social
Source: Government Information System
