Martha Elena Ruiz Sevilla is a Nicaraguan politician and lawyer who has served as

Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

from 2013 to 2019.

Early life and education

Ruiz Sevilla is from Acoyapa. She has a Masters in Law from the

Charles University Charles University (CUNI; , UK; ; ), or historically as the University of Prague (), is the largest university in the Czech Republic. It is one of the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest universities in the world in conti ...

in Prague.

Career

Ruiz Sevilla worked for the National Authority to the

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW; French: ''Organisation pour l'interdiction des armes chimiques'', OIAC) is an intergovernmental organisation and the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), ...

and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, before becoming Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence. Ruiz Sevilla was appointed Minister of Defence by President

Daniel Ortega José Daniel Ortega Saavedra (; ; born 11 November 1945) is a Nicaraguan politician and dictator who has been the president of Nicaragua, co-president of Nicaragua since 18 February 2025, alongside his wife Rosario Murillo. He was the 54th an ...

on 19 February 2013, becoming the first woman to hold the post. She was replaced by Rosa Adelina Barahona Castro on 19 August 2019.

Personal life

Ruiz Sevilla is married to Brigadier General Bayardo Ramón Rodríguez Ruiz who is the head of the General Staff of the

Nicaraguan Armed Forces The Nicaraguan Armed Forces () are the military forces of Nicaragua. There are three branches: the Nicaraguan Navy, Navy, the Nicaraguan Army, Army, and Nicaraguan Air Force, Air Force. History National Guard, 1925–1979 The long years o ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruiz Sevilla, Martha Elena Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Female defence ministers Defense ministers of Nicaragua 21st-century Nicaraguan women politicians People from Chontales Department 21st-century Nicaraguan politicians Women government ministers of Nicaragua