Manuela Moreno: the first Latina to join the Ontario police is paisa

The story of Manuela Carmona Moreno took a joyful turn to what was a complex childhood in Colombia. The 23-year-old became not only the first Colombian, but the first Latina woman to be part of the police force of a Canadian county.

Carmona is now a member of law enforcement in the province of Ontario, in a county of more than 150,000 inhabitants.

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The “surprise girl” as her grandparents call her, It is now focused on dedicating itself to work for the benefit of communities, migrants and those most in need.

“Talking about her excites me. I know what you’ve struggled to get to where my beautiful girl is. We call her a surprise girl because she came into our lives from one moment to the next, as a nice surprise,” said Norma Pulido, Manuela’s grandmother.

And it is that his path to success was not built, but it was carved by herself for years since in 2008 he left his hometown with his family for Canada.

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His trip abroad was not to look for better opportunities, it was a decision made by his father, Juan Esteban Carmona, to protect the life of his nine-year-old daughter and her partner.

“My dad sold a car that belonged to him to a man, agreeing that he would give him a part and then pay him in monthly installments. In the end this person did not pay him and began to threaten him, even telling her my mom’s name and mine. Because of this, my dad decided to leave the country,” Manuela said.

“We decided to leave Medellín and come to Canada for security reasons. My parents wanted to give me a better future full of job opportunities and education,” said the young woman.

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Now Manuela is part of the Chatham-Kent Police, a county in the province of Ontario 280 kilometers from Toronto, the capital of the North American country.

“I want to focus on all immigrants. I want to be the voice for them”, concluded the young woman who will wear the uniform of the Canadian police forces, but in her heart she will always carry the paisa and Colombian warmth that characterizes her.

Santiago Andres Venera Salazar
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
TIME