Patricia Ariza
Patricia Elia Ariza Flórez (born January 27, 1946) is a Colombian poet, playwright, actress and theatre director. She served as Minister of Culture from August 7, 2022 to February 27, 2023, in the government of President Gustavo Petro.
She was born in Vélez, Santander, and her family moved to Bogotá in 1948 to escape violence. In Medellín she became involved with Nadaism, and later joined the Military Communist Youth, influenced by her partner Santiago García. In 1966 she and García founded Casa de la Cultura, which later became Teatro La Candelaria, the first alternative theater in Colombia. She studied art history at the National University of Colombia from 1967 to 1969, and also studied at the University of Arts of Cuba.
Ariza is known for theatre that focuses on social issues and for giving voice to people who are often unheard, such as women who left their homes because of violence, the elderly, and street vendors. Her work centers on real-life stories and their impact on the community.
In 1991 she invited feminist Maria Evelia Marmolejo to reconstruct the performance 11 de Marzo, and in 2018 she helped found La Escuela de Mujeres En Escena por la Paz with the Flores de Otoño dance group. A 2009 secret police dossier accused her of promoting propaganda for FARC, an allegation she faced in the public sphere.
She received the Prince Claus Award in 2007 for empowering the disadvantaged and reducing conflict, and in 2014 she was honored with the Gilder/Coigney International Theatre Award from the League of Professional Theatre Women in New York.
Ariza has coauthored many works and has acted in and directed numerous theatre productions.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:15 (CET).