Deyci Alejandra Omaña Ortiz, a former adult film actress, has been sworn in as a senator in Colombia after winning a seat in the country’s March elections.
Ortiz, better known by her former stage name, Amaranta Hank, won the seat on a platform pushing for better rights and legal protection for workers in the adult entertainment industry.
According to Colombian newspaper El Tiempo, Omaña was sworn in on Thursday and will represent the Norte de Santander region as a member of the left-wing Historic Pact coalition for the 2026-2030 parliamentary term.
She placed 23rd on the coalition’s closed list during the election.
The Historic Pact is currently the strongest political bloc in Colombia. Data from the country’s National Registry showed the coalition secured 22.72 per cent of votes cast in the Senate election, translating to over 4.4 million votes and 25 Senate seats.
Ortiz’s election has drawn significant attention, largely due to her past career in adult films and her openness about it while building a political career.
My Past Should Not Stop Me — Ortiz
The new senator, who worked as a journalist before entering the adult entertainment industry and later returning to public life, insists her past should not bar her from serving in public office.
According to Infobae Colombia, Ortiz believes women who have worked in the sexual economy make meaningful contributions to the economy and deserve legal recognition rather than discrimination and stigma.
She has pushed back against critics questioning her fitness for public office over her former career. In a TikTok video addressing the backlash, she asked why a woman who worked in the adult industry cannot aspire to elected office, arguing that her past should not disqualify her from serving the public.
Ortiz, born in Cúcuta, said her legislative agenda would go beyond adult entertainment workers’ rights, with plans to focus on mental health and efforts to tackle sexual abuse.
Her election has become one of the most closely watched developments in Colombian politics in recent years, sparking nationwide debate over her background.
The development comes months after Ortiz and another former adult performer, Juan Carlos Florián, were appointed deputy ministers in Colombia’s Ministry of Equality — appointments under President Gustavo Petro’s administration that had already stirred controversy over whether people with adult entertainment backgrounds should hold senior government roles.
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