Alfonso López Michelsen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alfonso López Michelsen
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López in 1974.
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| 24th President of Colombia | |
| In office 7 August 1974 – 7 August 1978 |
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| Preceded by | Misael Pastrana Borrero |
| Succeeded by | Julio César Turbay Ayala |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 14 August 1968 – 7 August 1970 |
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| President | Carlos Lleras Restrepo |
| Preceded by | Germán Zea Hernández |
| Succeeded by | Alfredo Vázquez Carrizosa |
| 1st Governor of Cesar | |
| In office 21 December 1967 – 14 August 1968 |
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| President | Carlos Lleras Restrepo |
| Succeeded by | Luis Roberto García Díaz-Granados |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Alfonso López Michelsen
30 June 1913 Bogotá, D.C., Colombia |
| Died | 11 July 2007 (aged 94) Bogotá, D.C., Colombia |
| Resting place | Central Cemetery of Bogotá |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | |
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| Parents | Alfonso López Pumarejo María Michelsen Lombana |
| Alma mater | Our Lady of the Rosary University (JD, 1937) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Alfonso López Michelsen (born June 30, 1913 – died July 11, 2007) was an important Colombian politician and lawyer. He served as the 24th President of Colombia from 1974 to 1978. People often called him "El Pollo," which is a Colombian nickname for someone who achieves success early in their career.
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Early Life and Education
Alfonso López Michelsen was born and grew up in Bogotá, Colombia. His father, Alfonso López Pumarejo, was also a president of Colombia two times. His mother was María Michelsen Lombana.
He went to school at the Gimnasio Moderno in Bogotá. He also studied in other big cities like Paris, Brussels, London, and Santiago de Chile. Later, he earned a law degree from the Universidad del Rosario in Colombia.
During his father's time as president, López Michelsen stayed out of politics. Instead, he focused on teaching as a university professor at the Universidad del Rosario.
In 1938, López Michelsen married Cecilia Caballero Blanco in Bogotá. They had three sons together. They moved to a large farm, called a hacienda, outside Bogotá in a town called Engativá. It is now part of Bogotá. While living there, López Michelsen got his first taste of politics by becoming a town councilman. Two other future important politicians, Álvaro Gómez Hurtado and Julio César Turbay Ayala, were also councilmen with him.
Political Journey
In 1959, some of his former university students started a new political group called the Liberal Revolutionary Movement (MRL). This group was formed because they disagreed with the deal between the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party. This deal, called the National Front, meant the two parties would take turns governing the country.
López Michelsen was asked to lead this new MRL group, and he agreed. He became a candidate for president in the 1962 elections. However, he lost that election to the Conservative candidate, Guillermo León Valencia.
Governor of Cesar Department (1967–1968)
In 1966, López Michelsen was elected as a senator. He then helped the MRL group rejoin the Liberal Party in 1967. That same year, President Carlos Lleras Restrepo appointed him as the first governor of Cesar Department. This was a brand new province in the northern part of Colombia.
López Michelsen had family roots in this area, as his grandmothers' ancestors, the "Pumarejos," came from there. During his time as governor, he helped create the Vallenato Legend Festival. This festival is now one of Colombia's most important cultural events. He worked with the famous vallenato composer Rafael Escalona and journalist Consuelo Araújo to make it happen. He served as governor of Cesar from December 21, 1967, to August 14, 1968.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
A year later, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. He held this position until President Carlos Lleras Restrepo's term ended in 1970.
President of Colombia (1974–1978)
In 1974, the Liberal Party chose López Michelsen as their candidate for president. He won the party's primary election against former president Carlos Lleras Restrepo. He had the support of Julio César Turbay Ayala, who would later become president himself.
López Michelsen won the general election by a large number of votes. He defeated the Conservative Party candidate, Álvaro Gómez Hurtado, and the ANAPO candidate, María Eugenia Rojas Correa. His 2,929,719 votes were the most any president had received up to that time.
When he became president on August 7, 1974, he gave an important speech. In his speech, he used the native name "Gulf of Coquibacoa" for a disputed border area. He also promised to help farmers and people in cities, and to fight poverty. These promises gained him support from many groups.
As president, López Michelsen declared an "economic emergency." This allowed him to make changes to control government spending. He also introduced new taxes and financial rules to help the country save money. This led to more public projects and exports. Crop production also increased by 16%. He created new government offices to help improve farming. Under his leadership, electricity networks were expanded, and money for roads and buildings increased. However, during his time, inflation (when prices go up) reached its highest level, around 32%.
At first, people supported his plans. But soon, many became unhappy. Some of his promises, like improving water access and working with unions, were not fully met. Also, as government help was removed and prices rose, people felt frustrated. Many workers and activists had been unhappy for a long time. They hoped López Michelsen's election would bring a more open society, but they felt let down.
Because of this, the main Colombian unions planned a huge general strike. The government called the strike "subversive" and tried to stop public meetings and threaten arrests. This made people even angrier. Teachers, students, independent workers, and even members of the opposing party joined the strike. They demanded higher salaries, stable prices for basic goods, the right to meet and strike, and shorter work hours.
The strike happened on September 14, 1977, and was called the National Civil Strike. So many people joined that the organizers lost control. Roads were blocked in Bogotá and other cities. Small fights between protesters and police began. Soon, these turned into riots, with people looting stores and damaging cars. The government declared a curfew, which made protesters even more upset. Hundreds were hurt, and thousands were arrested and held in the city's soccer stadium. Riots continued all night and into the next day, causing a lot of damage. About 20 to 30 people died. The unions felt they had won, and the government had to make some changes. However, after the riots, the government became stricter.
After the Presidency
After his term ended in 1978, he again became the leader of the Liberal Party. He ran for president one more time in 1982, but he lost to the Conservative Party candidate, Belisario Betancur.
He continued to be active in the Liberal Party's decisions until the early 1990s. Then, he decided to step back from politics. He wrote regular articles for the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo. His articles often brought attention to important issues. Because of this, people called him "el hombre que pone a pensar al pais" (Spanish for "The man who made the country think").
Alfonso López Michelsen passed away in Bogotá on July 11, 2007, after having a heart attack.
See also
In Spanish: Alfonso López Michelsen para niños
