A former porn star, Deyci Alejandra Omana Ortiz, popularly known as Amaranta Hank, has been elected as a senator in Colombia.
She won her senatorial election after campaigning on a platform focused on protecting the rights of adult-content creators.
Colombian media outlet La Opinión, reported that Ortiz was sworn in as a senator in Bogotá on Monday, July 20, 2026 representing the left-wing Historic Pact party.
The 33-year-old began her career as a journalist before entering the adult entertainment industry in 2017. She left the industry two years later and subsequently transitioned into politics.
Ortiz secured victory in the March elections in Colombia’s Norte de Santander region and has pledged to push for stronger legal and social protections for people working in the adult content industry.
She argues that creators in the sector deserve access to social security benefits and safeguards against exploitation by agencies and companies operating within the industry.
“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 in a campaign video.
Responding to critics who question her political ambitions because of her past career, Ortiz has defended her right to seek public office.
“Why can’t a woman who was in the adult industry aspire to a popularly elected office?” she said, citing past former p0rn stars turned politicians such as Ilona Staller – who rose to fame with her 1970s radio show “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?” before becoming an Italian lawmaker. 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. The problem is that society consumes adult films but denies us the possibility of speaking in spaces of power.”
Ortiz says her experiences have shaped her understanding of inequality and workers’ rights, which she intends to advocate for during her tenure in the Colombian Senate.
