César Gaviria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
César Gaviria
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Gaviria in 2009
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| 7th Secretary General of the Organization of American States | |
| In office 15 September 1994 – 15 September 2004 |
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| Preceded by | João Baena Soares |
| Succeeded by | Miguel Ángel Rodríguez |
| 28th President of Colombia | |
| In office 7 August 1990 – 7 August 1994 |
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| Preceded by | Virgilio Barco Vargas |
| Succeeded by | Ernesto Samper |
| Minister of Interior and Justice | |
| In office May 1987 – February 1989 |
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| President | Virgilio Barco Vargas |
| Preceded by | Fernando Cepeda Ulloa |
| Succeeded by | Raúl Orejuela Bueno |
| Minister of Finance and Public Credit | |
| In office 7 August 1986 – 17 June 1987 |
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| President | Virgilio Barco Vargas |
| Preceded by | Hugo Palacios Mejía |
| Succeeded by | Luis Fernando Alarcón Mantilla |
| Member of the Chamber of Representatives | |
| In office 20 July 1974 – 20 July 1986 |
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| Constituency | Risaralda |
| President of the Chamber of Representatives | |
| In office 20 July 1984 – 20 July 1985 |
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| Preceded by | Hernando Gómez Otálora |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Mazuera Gómez |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
César Augusto Gaviria Trujillo
31 March 1947 Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Ana Milena Muñoz de Gaviria (1978–present) |
| Children |
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| Alma mater | University of the Andes (BEcon, 1969) |
| Occupation | Economist |
César Augusto Gaviria Trujillo was born on March 31, 1947. He is a Colombian economist and politician. He served as the President of Colombia from 1990 to 1994. After that, he was the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) from 1994 to 2004. He also led the Colombian Liberal Party from 2005 to 2009.
During his time as president, he helped create the Constitution of 1991. This new constitution changed many laws in Colombia.
Contents
Early Life and Education
César Gaviria was born in Pereira, a city in Colombia. His family had been involved in Colombian politics and business for many years.
When he was a student, Gaviria spent a year in the United States as an exchange student. He learned a lot during this time. Before he became a politician, he studied at the University of the Andes in the 1960s. There, he helped start a student organization called AIESEC. In 1968, he became the president of AIESEC in Colombia. This was the beginning of his career in public service.
Political Career
Gaviria started his political journey at a young age. When he was 23, he was elected as a councilman in his hometown of Pereira. Four years later, he became the city's mayor.
In 1974, he was elected to the Chamber of Representatives. This is like a part of the country's parliament. He even served as its president from 1984 to 1985. Later, he became a co-leader of the Colombian Liberal Party.
He worked closely with Luis Carlos Galán during Galán's presidential campaign in 1989. After Galán's death, Gaviria was chosen to continue his political work. Gaviria's campaign faced many challenges. He was supposed to be on a plane that later exploded, but he did not board it for safety reasons. Despite these difficulties, he was chosen as the Liberal presidential candidate. He won with 60% of the votes.
Presidency of Colombia
In 1990, César Gaviria was elected President of Colombia. He ran as a candidate for the Liberal Party. During his time as president, a new constitution was created in 1991. This was a very important event for Colombia.
As president, Gaviria also worked to address major challenges in the country. His government focused on improving security and stability.
During his presidency, a special prison called La Catedral was built. A well-known criminal was held there. However, this criminal later escaped. Gaviria's administration worked hard to find him, and he was eventually located in December 1993. This was seen as a big success for Gaviria's government.
Even with economic growth and foreign investment, many Colombians faced poverty. Groups called "autodefensas" were formed. These groups were meant to help the army, but they also caused problems. Gaviria's government also created the "Convivir" program in 1994. This program aimed to help the army by getting information from people. However, some people believed it also led to problems for civilians.
Leading the OAS
In 1994, after his presidency, Gaviria was elected Secretary General of the OAS. The OAS is a group of countries in North and South America that work together. He started his term after his time as president ended. He was re-elected in 1999 and worked hard for the countries in Latin America.
From 2002 to 2003, he helped lead discussions to find a solution to a political crisis in Venezuela. He worked to bring together different groups to find a peaceful way forward.
Later Political Roles
In June 2005, Gaviria was named the sole leader of the Liberal Party. In April 2006, his sister, Liliana Gaviria, passed away.
His son, Simón Gaviria, also became a leader in the Liberal Party from 2011 to 2014. He later worked for the government of Juan Manuel Santos. César Gaviria then took over the leadership of the party again. He supported Iván Duque in the 2018 presidential election, which Duque won.
Gaviria is a member of the Club of Madrid. This is a group of more than 100 former leaders from democratic countries around the world. They work to promote democracy and positive change globally.
Images for kids
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Gaviria in 2009
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Gaviria with Klaus Schwab at the World Economic Forum's 1992 annual meeting
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Gaviria heading the OAS session (left) and then US Secretary of State, Colin Powell.
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L-R: Gaviria, Julián De La Chica, and Horacio Serpa, 14 October 2003
See also
In Spanish: César Gaviria para niños
Héctor Villa Osorio
