Ricardo Vélez Rodríguez (born 15 November 1943) is a Colombian-Brazilian philosopher and former

Minister of Education An education minister (sometimes minister of education) is a position in the governments of some countries responsible for dealing with educational matters. Where known, the government department, ministry, or agency that develops policy and deli ...

of Brazil.

Biography

Rodríguez was born in 1943 in

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

. He received a degree in

Philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

from the

Pontifical Xavierian University The Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (English: Xavierian Pontifical University) is a private university in Colombia founded in 1623. It is one of the oldest and most traditional Colombian universities, directed by the Society of Jesus, with its ...

in 1963, and in 1967 received a degree in

Theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

from the Bogotá Seminar. In 1974 he received a master's degree from the

Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro The Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (; PUC-Rio) is a Jesuit, Catholic, pontifical university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the joint responsibility of the Catholic Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro and the So ...

and in 1982 received a doctorate in philosophy from Universidade Gama Filho. He is a professor of religion at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora. Rodríguez is a fierce critic of the

Workers' Party Workers' Party is a name used by several political parties throughout the world. The name has been used by both organisations on the left and right of the political spectrum. It is currently used by followers of Marxism, Marxism–Leninism, Maoism ...

, the Brazilian National High School Exam, and is a proponent of the " Escola sem Partido" ("Nonpartisan School") project. His political views have been described as

far-right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...

. He had been recommended by the philosopher Olavo de Carvalho. On 22 November 2018, Brazilian President-elect

Jair Bolsonaro Jair Messias Bolsonaro (; born 21 March 1955) is a Brazilian politician and former military officer who served as the 38th president of Brazil from 2019 to 2023. He previously served as a member of Brazil's Chamber of Deputies (Brazil), Chamb ...

announced that Rodríguez would serve as Brazil's

in the coming administration. He took office on 1 January 2019.

References

1943 births Living people Politicians from Bogotá Pontificia Universidad Javeriana alumni Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro alumni Brazilian anti-communists Conservatism in Brazil Roman Catholic writers Education ministers of Brazil Colombian academics Brazilian academics Brazilian conspiracy theorists 20th-century Brazilian philosophers Federal University of Juiz de Fora {{Brazil-politician-stub