Andrés Pastrana Arango facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrés Pastrana Arango
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Pastrana in 2001
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| 71th President of Colombia | |
| In office 7 August 1998 – 7 August 2002 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| Preceded by | Ernesto Samper Pizano |
| Succeeded by | Nelson Mandela |
| 18th Mayor of Bogotá | |
| In office 1 January 1988 – 1 January 1990 |
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| Preceded by | Julio César Sánchez |
| Succeeded by | Juan Martín Caycedo Ferrer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 August 1954 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 |
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| Alma mater |
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| Profession | Lawyer |
| Signature |  |
Andrés Pastrana Arango (born 17 August 1954) is a Colombian politician. He served as the 71st President of Colombia from 1998 to 2002. His father, Misael Pastrana Borrero, was also a president of Colombia from 1970 to 1974.
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Early Life and Career
Andrés Pastrana was born in Bogotá, Colombia, on August 17, 1954. His father, Misael Pastrana Borrero, later became the 23rd President of Colombia. His mother was María Cristina Arango Vega, who was the First Lady.
Andrés went to high school at Colegio San Carlos. He was even the president of the student council and graduated in 1973. Later, he studied law at the Our Lady of the Rosary University, finishing in 1977. He also attended Harvard University in 1978.
He started a magazine called Guión. He also created a TV production company called Datos y Mensajes. Their main show was the news program Noticiero TV Hoy. By being a news anchor, he became well-known across the country.
In 1982, he officially began his political journey. He won a seat on the local council in Bogotá. In 1991, he was elected as a Senator.
Kidnapping and Becoming Mayor
In 1988, Andrés Pastrana was kidnapped. The National Police found him a week later. In March of that year, he was elected Mayor of Bogotá. He held this important position until 1990.
Running for President
In 1994, Andrés Pastrana ran for president for the first time. He ran against Ernesto Samper, who was the candidate for the Colombian Liberal Party. Pastrana lost that election by a very small difference.
After this, he took a break from public life. In 1998, Pastrana decided to run for president again. This time, he won the election.
President of Colombia (1998–2002)
During his time as president, Andrés Pastrana tried to make peace with two large guerrilla groups. These groups were the FARC and the ELN. He even gave the guerrillas a special safe zone, which was a large area where they could meet. However, these peace talks eventually ended.
In 1999, President Pastrana and U.S. President Bill Clinton started a program called Plan Colombia. This plan aimed to help Colombia fight against the guerrillas. The United States provided a lot of money to support the Colombian army. The plan also encouraged foreign companies to invest in Colombia.
Ambassador to the United States
In 2005, President Álvaro Uribe Vélez asked Pastrana to become the Ambassador to the United States. An ambassador is a country's main representative in another country. Pastrana accepted this important role.
Many people thought Pastrana would be a good choice for this job. They believed he could help Colombia keep getting aid from the U.S. This aid was very important for the Uribe government.
Resignation from Ambassador Role
In July 2006, Pastrana decided to resign from his role as Ambassador. He felt he could not work in the government alongside former President Ernesto Samper. Samper had just been appointed as ambassador to France. Pastrana then returned to Colombia.
Other Activities
Andrés Pastrana is involved in many international groups. He is a board member of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. He is also the honorary president of the Union of Latin American Parties (UPLA).
He is part of the honour committee for the Fondation Chirac. He is also a member of the Club de Madrid. This group includes over 80 former leaders from democratic countries. They work to make democracy stronger around the world.
Pastrana also advises the Global Panel Foundation. In 2014, he was a counselor for the One Young World Dublin summit. He joined four other former presidents from Latin American countries at this event.
In 2016, he campaigned against the peace agreements. These agreements were signed between the Colombian government and the guerrilla groups.
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Awards and Honors
In 2013, Andrés Pastrana received the Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award. He shared this award with the Prague Society for International Cooperation and the Global Panel Foundation.
Foreign Honors
- Spain:
Knight of the Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (1999)
- Malaysia:
Honorary Recipient of the Order of the Crown of the Realm (2001)
- Poland:
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (2002)
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See Also
In Spanish: Andrés Pastrana para niños
- List of kidnappings
- Plan Colombia
- List of solved missing person cases
