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 |
| 29th 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 his presidency, he became the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) from 1994 to 2004. He also led the Colombian Liberal Party as its National Director from 2005 to 2009. During his time as president, he helped create the Constitution of 1991, which is Colombia's current constitution.
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Early Life and Education
César Gaviria was born in Pereira, Colombia. His family had been important in Colombian politics and business for many years. As a student, Gaviria spent a year in the United States as an exchange student.
Before he started his political career, he studied at the University of the Andes in the 1960s. There, he helped start AIESEC, an international student organization. In 1968, he was elected President of AIESEC in Colombia. This was the beginning of his work in public service.
Political Journey
César Gaviria began his political career 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, which is part of Colombia's Congress. He was even the president of this Chamber from 1984 to 1985. Later, he became a co-leader of the Colombian Liberal Party.
Presidential Campaign
In 1989, Gaviria was the campaign manager for Luis Carlos Galán, who was running for president. Sadly, Galán was assassinated on August 18, 1989. After this, Galán's son, Juan Manuel Galán, announced that Gaviria would continue his father's political work.
Gaviria's campaign faced many challenges. He was supposed to be on Avianca Flight 203, but for safety reasons, he did not board the plane. The plane exploded, and everyone on board died. Despite these difficulties, he was chosen as the Liberal Party's candidate for president. He won with 60% of the votes.
Leading Colombia as President
In 1990, César Gaviria was elected President of Colombia. During his time as president, a new constitution was created and approved in 1991. This new constitution brought many changes to the country.
As president, Gaviria also worked to fight against powerful criminal groups. One of the most well-known figures he dealt with was Pablo Escobar. A special prison called La Catedral was built for Escobar. However, Escobar escaped from this prison in July 1992. He was later found and killed in December 1993. This was seen as a major success for Gaviria's government.
During his presidency, Colombia saw stable economic growth and foreign investment. However, many Colombians still faced poverty, especially in rural areas. His government also created a program called "Convivir" in 1994. This program was meant to help the army gather information about armed groups.
Secretary General of the OAS
In 1994, after his presidency ended, Gaviria was elected Secretary General of the OAS. The OAS is a group of countries in North and South America that work together on various issues. He was re-elected in 1999 and worked hard to support Latin American countries. From 2002 to 2003, he helped try to find a solution to a political crisis in Venezuela.
Later Political Roles
In June 2005, Gaviria was named the sole leader of the Liberal Party. In April 2006, his sister, Liliana Gaviria, was killed.
His son, Simón Gaviria, also became involved in politics. He led the Liberal Party from 2011 to 2014 and 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 an organization of former democratic leaders from around the world who work to promote democracy.
See also
In Spanish: César Gaviria para niños
- Héctor Villa Osorio
