Andrés Pastrana Arango Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids His Excellency Andrés Pastrana Arango
Pastrana in 2001

31st President of Colombia
In office 7 August 1998 – 7 August 2002
Vice President	Gustavo Bell Lemus
Preceded by	Ernesto Samper
Succeeded by	Álvaro Uribe
30th Ambassador of Colombia to the United States
In office 24 October 2005 – 11 July 2006
President	Álvaro Uribe
Preceded by	Luis Alberto Moreno
Succeeded by	Carolina Barco Isakson
18th Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement
In office 7 August 1998 – 2 September 1998
Preceded by	Ernesto Samper Pizano
Succeeded by	Nelson Mandela
18th Mayor of Bogotá
In office 1 January 1988 – 1 January 1990
Preceded by	Julio César Sánchez
Succeeded by	Juan Martín Caycedo Ferrer

Personal details
Born	(1954-08-17) 17 August 1954 (age 70) Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
Political party	Conservative
Other political affiliations	Great Alliance for Change
Spouse	Nohra Puyana Bickenbach (m. 1981)
Relations	Misael Pastrana Borrero (father) María Cristina Arango Vega (mother)
Children	Santiago Pastrana Puyana Laura Pastrana Puyana Valentina Pastrana Puyana
Alma mater	Our Lady of the Rosary University (LLB, 1977) Harvard University (WCIA Fellow, 1978)
Profession	Lawyer
Signature

Andrés Pastrana Arango (born 17 August 1954) is a Colombian politician. He served as the 31st President of Colombia from 1998 to 2002. His father, Misael Pastrana Borrero, was also a president of Colombia from 1970 to 1974.

Early Life and Education

Andrés Pastrana was born on 17 August 1954 in Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. His parents were Misael Pastrana Borrero and María Cristina Arango Vega. His father later became the 23rd President of Colombia.

School and University Years

While his father was president, Andrés Pastrana attended Colegio San Carlos. He was the president of the student council and graduated in 1973. He then studied law at the Our Lady of the Rosary University, earning his degree in 1977. In 1978, he studied at Harvard University as a special fellow.

Start in Journalism

Pastrana started a magazine called Guión. He also founded a TV production company, Datos y Mensajes. Their main show was the news program Noticiero TV Hoy. As a news anchor, he became well-known across Colombia.

First Steps in Politics

In 1982, Andrés Pastrana began his political career. He won a seat on the local council in Bogotá. He also wrote many articles about important national issues, earning several journalism awards. In 1991, he was elected as a Senator.

Kidnapping and Becoming Mayor

On January 18, 1988, Andrés Pastrana was kidnapped in Antioquia. He was held by a criminal group that wanted the Colombian government to stop sending certain individuals to the United States. The National Police found him a week later.

Mayor of Bogotá

After his release, in March 1988, he was elected Mayor of Bogotá. He served in this important role until 1990.

Presidential Campaigns

Andrés Pastrana ran for president several times. His journey to the presidency was full of challenges and important moments.

First Presidential Attempt (1994)

In 1994, Pastrana ran for president against Ernesto Samper. He lost by a very small margin in the second round of voting. After this, Pastrana stepped away from public life for a while.

Winning the Presidency (1998)

In 1998, Pastrana decided to run for president again. This time, he won the election.

President of Colombia (1998–2002)

Andrés Pastrana's time as president is remembered for his efforts to bring peace to Colombia. He tried to negotiate with two large armed groups, the FARC and the ELN.

Bill Clinton, Andrés Pastrana (center) and Chelsea Clinton in Cartagena, Colombia, 30 August 2000.

Peace Efforts

As part of the peace talks, a special area was set aside for the armed groups. This area was about the size of Switzerland. However, the negotiations eventually broke down, and the peace process ended.

Plan Colombia

In 1999, President Pastrana and U.S. President Bill Clinton launched Plan Colombia. This plan aimed to help Colombia fight against armed groups and encourage economic growth. The United States provided significant financial support for this effort.

Ambassador to the United States

US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld meeting with Andrés Pastrana.

In 2005, President Álvaro Uribe Vélez offered Pastrana the job of Ambassador to the United States in Washington, D.C. Pastrana accepted this role. Many thought he would be helpful in Washington to continue U.S. support for Colombia.

Resignation from Ambassador Role

In July 2006, Pastrana resigned from his position as ambassador. He stated that he could not work in the same government as former President Ernesto Samper, who had just been appointed ambassador to France. Samper also later declined his appointment.

Other Activities and Contributions

After his presidency and ambassador role, Andrés Pastrana remained active in international affairs.

International Roles

He is a board member of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.
He is the honorary president of the Union of Latin American Parties (UPLA).
He is a member of the Fondation Chirac's honor committee.
He is also part of the Club de Madrid, a group of over 80 former leaders from democratic countries. This group works to strengthen democracy around the world.
He serves on the board of advisors for the Global Panel Foundation.
He was a counselor for the One Young World Dublin summit in 2014.

Recent Activities

In 2016, he campaigned against the peace agreements signed between the Colombian government and the armed groups. In October 2021, his name was mentioned in the Pandora Papers regarding a company he owned in Panama for investments. He supported Javier Milei in the 2023 Argentine general election.

Awards and Honors

Andrés Pastrana has received several awards and honors for his work.

Citizenship Award

In 2013, he received the Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award. This award was given to him by the Prague Society for International Cooperation and the Global Panel Foundation.