Juan Carlos Florán says he has over 20 years of professional experience in different international cooperation organizations and was a public servant
A political scientist and former porn actor will be the president’s new minister of equality, a choice questioned amid recurring changes in his left government’s office. Juan Carlos Florián, who openly recognizes that he was a sex worker and pornographic content creator, was chosen by the president to lead a ministry created in 2023 to ensure access to social programs to the most vulnerable communities.
The Ministry of Equality was a campaign promise by Vice President Francia Márquez, the first black woman to hold this position in the country’s history.
More than 50 ministers passed the president’s office amid crises that were recorded at live gathered meetings. Márquez took over as head of the portfolio, but left in February after disagreements with Petro and denunciation of “racism” in the government.
She was replaced by Carlos Rosero, but the president rebuked him on a board of ministers broadcast on television for allegedly trying to fire Florián, who was then deputy minister. He also tried to remove another employee and former porn actress from the position. “What is there is an internal fight in the Ministry of Equality, you are firing employees,” Petro told him.
At that time, the president referred to Florián as a “porn actor” who worked with him when he was mayor of Bogota and “created” a “sex workers union” in France, where he lived after leaving the country claiming persecution. Florián and others of his former collaborators “had to exile and had to prostitute themselves in Paris,” said Petro.
The political scientist contested the controversy caused by his appointment as deputy minister in an interview with the newspaper El Spectator published in January. “I was more than porn actor”, “I have over 20 years of professional experience in different international cooperation organizations and I was a public servant,” said the current minister.
“Sexwork is a job like any other and you can’t attack the people who do it, recognize it and are part of the working class because that’s how they support their families.” Petro is criticized by opposition for its supposed lack of governability in the face of the instability of its office.
*With information from AFP
Posted by Nátaly Tenório
