By Opeyemi Adelakun
A former adult film actress has been elected to Colombia’s Senate after campaigning on a platform focused on protecting the rights and welfare of adult-content creators.
Deyci Alejandra Omana Ortiz, popularly known in the adult entertainment industry as Amaranta Hank, was sworn in as a senator on Monday in Bogotá under the left-wing Historic Pact party.
The 33-year-old, who previously worked as a journalist before joining the adult film industry in 2017, left the profession two years later to pursue a political career.
Ortiz was elected earlier this year in the Norte de Santander region and has pledged to push for legislation guaranteeing social security and legal protections for people working in the adult-content industry.
According to her, many workers in the sector remain vulnerable to exploitation because their profession lacks adequate legal recognition and regulation.
“These women have been unprotected by the state because, due to misinformation, prejudice and double standards, no one has declared to regulate it,” she said during her campaign.
Responding to criticism over her transition from adult entertainment to politics, Ortiz argued that her previous career should not disqualify her from public office.
“Why can’t a woman who was in the adult industry aspire to a popularly elected office?” she asked, citing examples of former adult entertainers who later held political positions in other countries.
She said her personal experiences exposed her to inequality and social exclusion, adding that they would help shape her legislative agenda.
“My experience allowed me to understand inequality, the struggle for freedom and the popular economy, arguments that I now promise to bring directly into legislative debate,” Ortiz said.
“The problem is that society consumes adult films but denies us the possibility of speaking in spaces of power,” she added.
Beyond advocating for workers in the adult-content industry, the new senator said she would champion improved mental health services and stronger measures to prevent sexual abuse.
Ortiz secured her Senate seat through the Historic Pact coalition, currently Colombia’s largest bloc in the Senate. She was elected after placing 23rd on the party’s candidate list.
Following her victory, she described her election as part of a broader political transformation in Colombia.
“I feel embraced by my people,” she said after the election.
“There is a political transformation underway that still has a long way to go, but the important thing is that it has already begun in some way.”
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