María Juliana Ruiz

María Juliana Ruiz Sandoval (born 25 May 1978)[1] is a Colombian politician who served as First Lady of Colombia from 2018 to 2022. She is married to Iván Duque, who became former president of the country on 7 August 2018 to 2022, succeeding Juan Manuel Santos.[2]

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Ruiz and the second or maternal family name is Sandoval.
María Juliana Ruiz
Ruiz at the White House in 2019
First Lady of Colombia
In role
7 August 2018 – 7 August 2022
PresidentIván Duque
Preceded byMaría Clemencia Rodríguez
Succeeded byVerónica Alcocer
Personal details
Born
María Juliana Ruiz Sandoval

(1978-05-25) 25 May 1978
Bogotá, Colombia
Spouse
​
(m. 2003)​
Children3
Alma materPontifical Xavierian University
(BL)
Washington College of Law

Biography

Early years

Ruiz was born in Bogotá in 1978, to Luis Fernando Ruiz and Gloria Sandoval. She did her basic studies at the Marymount School and later entered the Pontifical Xavierian University, where she studied law.[2] After finishing her undergraduate studies, she moved to Paris to study at the Institut Catholique. She later moved to Washington, D.C., where she obtained a Master of Laws with an emphasis on International Business at the Washington College of Law of American University.[3]

Career

Living in Washington, Ruiz managed to become professionally involved with the Organization of American States, where she worked for more than a decade initially in various capacities and later under the guidance of the Secretary General and the Assistant Secretary General, leading projects and commissions of the organization.[3]

After her experience in the United States, she returned to her native country to join the Shaio Clinic, where she served as Secretary General until she became the nation's First Lady in 2018,[4] when her husband Iván Duque Márquez was elected President of Colombia, succeeding Juan Manuel Santos.[5][6] From her position, Ruiz has led various social projects, most notably the Great Alliance for Nutrition, an initiative that seeks to mitigate the impact of child malnutrition in the country.[7][8][9]

Personal life

Ruiz met Iván Duque Márquez in his youth[2] and years later began a relationship with him while living in Washington, D.C. The couple married on 15 February 2003 and returned to Colombia when Duque decided to run for the Senate of the Republic. Their three children were born in Washington: Luciana, Eloísa and Matías.[3]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, on 25 November 2020 she tested positive for COVID-19 but was asymptomatic. President Duque tested negative.[10]

References
  1. "H.E. María Juliana Ruiz Sandoval". Concordia (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  2. "¿Quién es María Juliana Ruíz, la nueva primera dama?". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 10 May 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  3. "María Juliana Ruiz". Protagonista (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  4. "La primera dama alertó que más de 280 mil niños menores de 5 años tienen sobrepeso". La FM (in Spanish). 20 February 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  5. "Iván Duque, nuevo presidente de Colombia". El Espectador (in Spanish). 17 June 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  6. "El perfil de Iván Duque, el joven y metódico presidente electo". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 17 June 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  7. "La Gran Alianza por la Nutrición cumple su primer año de trabajo por una causa nacional". Revista El Congreso (in Spanish). 5 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  8. Castellanos, Ricardo. "Colombia logra una reducción del 11% en las notificaciones de muertes de niños menores de 5 años asociadas a desnutrición". Publimetro Colombia (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  9. "'Los niños no pueden ser convertidos en tendencia para aumentar seguidores': María Juliana Ruiz". RCN Radio (in Spanish). 15 February 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  10. "Colombia's first lady tests positive for coronavirus". Reuters. 25 November 2020.
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