Ricardo Vélez Rodríguez (born 15 November 1943) is a Colombian-Brazilian philosopher
and former
Minister of Education of Brazil.
Biography
Rodríguez was born in 1943 in
Bogotá,
Colombia. He received a degree in
Philosophy from the
Pontifical Xavierian University
The Pontifical Xavierian University (in Spanish Pontificia Universidad Javeriana) is a private higher education institution founded in 1623. It is one of the oldest, most traditional, and prestigious Colombian universities, directed by the Soc ...
in 1963, and in 1967 received a degree in
Theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
from the Bogotá Seminar. In 1974 he received a master's degree from the
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro 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
The Federal University of Juiz de Fora ( pt, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, UFJF) is a public research university in Brazil. Throughout its over 50 years of existence, the university has undergone significant growth, strengthening the qual ...
. Rodríguez is a fierce critic of the
Workers' Party, 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. He had been recommended by the philosopher
Olavo de Carvalho
Olavo Luiz Pimentel de Carvalho (29 April 1947 – 24 January 2022) was a Brazilian polemicist, self-proclaimed philosopher, political pundit, former astrologer, journalist, and far-right conspiracy theorist. From 2005 until his death, he live ...
.
On 22 November 2018, Brazilian President-elect
Jair Bolsonaro announced that Rodríguez would serve as Brazil's
Minister of Education in the coming administration.
He took office on 1 January 2019.
References
1943 births
Living people
People from Bogotá
Pontifical Xavierian University 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
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