María Fernanda Cabal

María Fernanda Cabal Molina (born 8 August 1964) is a Colombian businesswoman, political scientist and politician.

Cabal has served as a Colombian congresswoman, being a member of the Chamber of Representatives between 7 August 2014 to 7 August 2018 representing the Capital District, most recently she was elected for the 2018 Colombian parliamentary election, as a Senator of Colombia, being re-elected later during the 2022 Colombian parliamentary election, being the female congresswoman with the highest vote among the open lists to the Senate.

Early life
María Fernanda Cabal Molina was born on 8 August 1964, in Cali, Cauca Valley, where she lived until her high school years. She later moved to Bogotá, D.C. to begin her career as a political scientist at the University of the Andes where she joined the Political Science Department as coordinator of the Democracy Program, which was funded by the National Endowment for Democracy.

During the 90's, Cabal participated as a member of the student movement that later promoted the Seventh Ballot, which called for a constitutional reform through the convening of the National Constituent Assembly.

Religion
Cabal was once at birth baptized under the Catholic rite, by her parents in 1964, despite this she declares herself as a Lapsed Catholic, and has shown herself to be an admirer of the Evangelical Protestant rite, which she has expressed to attend on multiple occasions.

Political positions
Cabal is known for her conservative positions. As a member of congress, she maintained close relations with the Donald Trump administration in the United States and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, as well as being a constant critic of leftist movements in Colombia and Latin America. She is in favor of controversial policies such as promoting the right of civilians to bear arms to defend themselves and the rejection of the peace agreement between the FARC guerrillas and the Colombian government.

Cabal would sign the Madrid Charter of the Madrid Forum, joining the right-wing and far-right group organized by the Spanish political party Vox.