María Nela Prada

María Nela Prada Tejada (born 24 January 1980) is a Bolivian diplomat and politician serving as the minister of the presidency since 2020. A member of the Movement for Socialism, she served as chief of staff under Luis Arce during his tenure as minister of economy from 2006 to 2017 and in 2019.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Prada and the second or maternal family name is Tejada.
María Nela Prada
Prada at her swearing in, 9 November 2020
Minister of the Presidency
Assumed office
9 November 2020
PresidentLuis Arce
Preceded byYerko Núñez
Head of the Rape and Femicide
Case Review Commission
Assumed office
4 February 2022
PresidentLuis Arce
Preceded byCommission established
Personal details
Born
María Nela Prada Tejada

(1981-01-24) 24 January 1981
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
Political partyMovement for Socialism (2005–present)
Parent(s)Ramón Prada
Betty Tejada

Biography

María Nela Prada was born on 24 January 1981 in Santa Cruz de la Sierra to Ramón Prada and Betty Tejada.[1] Her father served as prefect of Santa Cruz from 1999 to 2001, appointed by President Hugo Banzer.[2] Prada's mother, Betty Tejada, served as president of the Chamber of Deputies from 2013 to 2014.[3] Due to familial links, the family was historically related to Banzer's right-wing Nationalist Democratic Action party —Ramón was the nephew of Banzer's wife, Yolanda Prada.[1][4] However, by 2005, Prada and her mother had aligned themselves with the Movement for Socialism (MAS-IPSP) —which came to power the following year— as a result of the social movements spearheaded by the MAS at the time.[1] Prada recalls that, though she and her father "did not share the same political path […] he taught me to respect those differences".[5]

Prada graduated from university with a degree in international relations and went on to receive a master's degree in State planning and economics. Additionally, she is fluent in three languages.[1] Prada's economics experience led her to accompany Luis Arce as his chief of staff during his decade-long tenure as minister of economy in the government of Evo Morales.[6] Additionally, in 2011, she served as director of the Bolivian Port Services Administration (ASPB).[7]

Minister of the Presidency

Upon becoming president, Arce appointed Prada as his minister of the presidency on 9 November 2020. She is the first woman to have held the position.[5] After being sworn in, Prada delivered a speech on behalf of the new ministerial cabinet, in which she advocated for reconciliation and stated that "differences must be accepted" between supporters and opponents of Arce's government.[8] In 2022, she was designated as the head of the Rape and Femicide Case Review Commission, formed by the president to investigate cases of corruption by judges in favor of convicts charged with femicide or rape.[9]

References
  1. "La nueva ministra de la Presidencia, María Nela Prada, vista desde los ojos de su madre". UNITEL (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. 11 November 2020. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  2. "Fallece el exprefecto cruceño Ramón Prada". El Deber (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. 24 March 2016. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  3. "Betty Tejada es la nueva presidenta de la Cámara de Diputados". Los Tiempos (in Spanish). Cochabamba. 17 January 2013. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  4. "Hijo de Banzer quiere seguir los pasos de su padre". Agencia de Noticias Fides (in Spanish). La Paz. 25 August 2001. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022. […] Ramón Prada, […] sobrino del ex Presidente [Banzer] por la línea de su esposa, Yolanda Prada.
  5. Claros, Yandira (9 November 2020). "María Nela Prada, la primera mujer que es ministra de la Presidencia". La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2022. […] con mi papá no compartíamos el mismo camino político […] Me enseñó a respetar esas diferencias.
  6. "Conozca a los 16 ministros de Luis Arce". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. 9 November 2020. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  7. "Quién es María Nela Prada, la mujer de confianza de Arce, ahora ministra de la Presidencia". Urgente.bo (in Spanish). 9 November 2020. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  8. "Ministra de Presidencia aboga por la reconciliación". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. 9 November 2020. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  9. "Prada lidera la comisión sobre la impunidad en casos de feminicidio y se suman seis mujeres". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. 4 February 2022. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
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