Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento (born 2 October 1949)[1] is a Colombian lawyer and politician.

Alfonso Valdivieso
Senator of Colombia
In office
20 July 2008 – 20 July 2010
In office
20 July 1986 – 1 February 1992
24th Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations
In office
18 September 1998 – 14 January 2003
PresidentAndrés Pastrana
Preceded byJulio Londoño
Succeeded byMaría Ángela Holguín
2nd Attorney General of Colombia
In office
17 August 1994 – 8 May 1997
Nominated byCésar Gaviria
Preceded byGustavo de Greiff
Succeeded byAlfonso Gómez Méndez
Colombia Ambassador to Israel
In office
1 February 1992 – 20 March 1993
PresidentCésar Gaviria
Succeeded byPatricio Samper
Minister of National Education
In office
16 August 1990 – 16 November 1991
PresidentVirgilio Barco Vargas
Preceded byManuel Becerra
Succeeded byCarlos Holmes Trujillo
Member of the Chamber of Representatives
In office
20 July 1982 – 20 July 1986
ConstituencySantander
Personal details
Born (1949-10-02) 2 October 1949 (age 74)
Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia
Political partyRadical Change (2006-present)
Other political
affiliations
Liberal
New Liberalism
SpouseMarta Cecilia León (1983-present)
RelationsLuis Carlos Galán (cousin)
ChildrenSergio Valdivieso
Camilo Valdivieso
Alma materPontifical Xavierian University (LLB)
Boston University (MA)
ProfessionLawyer, Economist

Biography edit

Alfonso Sarmiento was born in Bucaramanga, Santander to Roberto Valdivieso Serrano and Mercedes Sarmiento Suárez.[2] He attended Divino Niño school and San Pedro Claver school. After graduating from Instituto Tecnológico Santandereano, he moved to Bogotá. He attended Pontifical Xavierian University where he graduated in Law with a concentration in Socio-Political Sciences. Afterwards he moved to the United States where he received a Master of Arts in Global Development Economics (MA GDE) from Boston University, and advanced studies in Urban and Regional Development at Toronto University.[3][4]

He is the cousin of the late liberal leader Luis Carlos Galán, who was assassinated when he was 39 years old and relative of politicians Juan Manuel Galán, Carlos Fernando Galán and, Claudio Galán.

Political and diplomatic career edit

As the 2nd Attorney General of Colombia, he brought charges and stood against the administration of Ernesto Samper Pizano during the Proceso 8000. He served as the 24th Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations and as Ambassador of Colombia to Israel. A Radical Change party politician, he was elected Representative and Senator in the Congress of Colombia, and served as Minister of National Education under the administration of Virgilio Barco Vargas.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ "Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  2. ^ Osorio Osma, Ramiro (1996). Genealogías de Santander [Genealogies of Santander] (in Spanish). Bogotá: Giro. ISBN 978-958-9004-47-0. OCLC 253327151.
  3. ^ Hoyos, José Fernando (1997-05-17). "Alfonso Valdivieso, El Animal Político" [Alfonso Valdivieso, The Political Animal]. El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  4. ^ "Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento" (in Spanish). Congreso Visible. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  5. ^ "El poder en Colombia: Los Cien Personajes Mas Influyentes de Colombia" [Power In Colombia: The Hundred Most Influential Characters in Colombia]. Dinero (in Spanish). 1995-01-05. ISSN 0798-3522. Archived from the original on 2010-01-14. Retrieved 2011-01-08.

Further reading edit