Claudia López

Claudia López, 49, has been declared as the mayor of Bogotá, D.C., Colombia. The independent candidate of the coalition of Alianza Verde and Democrático is the first ever woman to serve as the mayor of the city.

The victory of López is also being celebrated by the LGBTQ+ community. During her election speech, the openly gay politician thanked her partner Angélica Lozano Correa for being the love of her life and making her happy every day, the City Paper Bogotá quoted her as saying.

A lawyer, politician and LGBTQ+ rights activist, Lozano is Colombia’s first ever out lesbian legislator. Having served as the mayor of Chapinero from 2005 to 2008, she assumed office as a member of the Senate of Colombia on July 20, 2018 and her term will end on July 20, 2022.

López will replace Enrique Peñalosa Londoño, 55, who assumed office on January 1, 2016. The latter was born in Washington, DC, United States on September 30, 1954 and is an alumnus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Born in Bogotá on March 9, 1970, López earned her bachelor’s degree in Finance, Government and International Relations from the Universidad Externado de Colombia in Bogotá. She earned her master’s degree in Public Administration and Urban Politics from Columbia University in New York City, New York, USA and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University in Chicago, USA.

In an interview with The Bogota Post before the election, López was asked about the places in Bogotá that she would recommend to visitors. She said, “One is, without doubt, the historical and iconic tourist sites, which we know, but the second would be to get a taste for Bogotá’s barrios popular like the Plaza de Mercado La Perseverancia, 12 de octubre and the transmicable in Ciudad Bolívar.”

“I would showcase not only the iconic sites but also those that highlight the popular, everyday Bogotá, which is marvelous,” López continued. “Finally, I like to show them Bogotá’s surroundings. The highlands of Cundinamarca are absolutely beautiful. I like to show guests Sumapaz, Boyaca and the salt cathedral of Zipaquira.”

Here is the newly elected mayor of Bogotá: