Johana Aranda Rivera se convierte en la nueva alcaldesa de Ibagué – Otras Ciudades – Colombia
The name of Johana Aranda Rivera, who was Secretary of Health and who won the battle against Covid-19 during the pandemic after being infected 8 times, makes history and becomes the first woman to win the mayoralty of Ibagué, Tolima through popular election.
With the endorsement of the Democratic Center, she was seen accompanied by former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez during her visits to neighborhoods and districts, but in her efforts to win the elections, she managed to gather political forces such as Cambio Radical, MIRA, La U, ADA, Colombia Justa Libres, among others.
«Johana Aranda is energy, preparation, and love for her city,» said former President Uribe in a crowded campaign closing meeting.
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Aranda defines herself as «a woman of challenges, proactive, hardworking, to whom nothing has been too big.»
«I represent each of the hardworking and dedicated people of Ibagué who strive every day to achieve their dreams,» said this woman, who graduated in bacteriology from the University of Manizales and holds a master’s degree in human resources.
Aranda, a woman of deep faith and trust in God, was the director of quality control at the Ibagué water company for years, and on January 1, 2020, she assumed the position of Secretary of Health, standing out for her work in combating Covid-19, a disease from which she was infected 8 times.
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«I got infected with Covid-19 8 times, the first time I infected my daughter, my doctor, and my partner, who almost died as he spent 35 days in an Intensive Care Unit,» said the woman who, years ago, also won the battle against uterine cancer while pregnant.
She is the daughter of Dionisio Aranda and Marina Rivera, a couple of teachers from a peasant background, and she was born in the Pastales village, located in the tourist area of the Combeima River Canyon.
Her mother describes her as «a hardworking and brave warrior, and there are moments when she cries, but she continues to move forward, defying storms.»
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«My daughter only seeks to do good, and with her smile and her love, she conquers many hearts as she forgives and forgets everything to start anew,» said Mrs. Marina Rivera.
The former mayor of Ibagué, Jesús María Botero, supported her decisively as he believes that «the time of women has come.»
«Johana knows the city very well and will contribute a lot to its development because she possesses the necessary knowledge, and she undertakes this commitment as a woman leader with extensive experience in the public sector,» said Botero.
FABIO ARENAS
Para EL TIEMPO
IBAGUÉ
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