Federico Gutiérrez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Federico Gutiérrez
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Gutiérrez in 2016
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| Mayor of Medellín | |
| Assumed office 1 January 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Daniel Quintero |
| In office 1 January 2016 – 31 December 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Aníbal Gaviria |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Quintero |
| Municipal Councillor of Medellín | |
| In office 1 January 2004 – 31 December 2011 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Federico Andrés Gutiérrez Zuluaga
28 November 1974 Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia |
| Citizenship | Colombian |
| Political party | Creemos Colombia |
| Other political affiliations |
New Party (2003) Party of the U (2005–2011) Team for Colombia |
| Spouse |
Margarita Gómez
(m. 2006) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | Hernán Gutiérrez Amparo Zuluaga |
| Residence | Medellín |
| Alma mater | University of Medellín and Pontifical Bolivarian University |
| Occupation | Politician, civil engineer, urbanist |
| Website | federicogutierrez.com |
Federico Andrés Gutiérrez Zuluaga, born on November 28, 1974, is a politician and civil engineer from Colombia. He is currently the mayor of Medellín, a position he also held from 2016 to 2019. Before becoming mayor, he served as a member of the Medellín city council between 2004 and 2011. Gutiérrez is a member of the Creemos Colombia party. He was also a candidate in the 2022 Colombian presidential election, winning the primary election for the conservative Team for Colombia group.
Contents
About Federico Gutiérrez
Federico Gutiérrez was born in Medellín in 1974. His parents are Hernán Gutiérrez Isaza and Amparo Zuluaga Gómez. He married Margarita Gómez Marín in 2006, and they have two children named Emilio and Pedro.
His Education and Early Career
Gutiérrez studied civil engineering and advanced management at the University of Medellín. He also studied political science at the Pontifical Bolivarian University. While he was a student, he was chosen to be part of the youth city council in 1999. He also worked as an adviser for city planning, helping to analyze Medellín's development plan for the years 2001 to 2003.
In his private career, Gutiérrez worked as a consultant for HGI consulting. He also served as a resident engineer for a company called Vifasa. From 2011 to 2015, he worked as a consultant on city safety for places like Buenos Aires in Argentina and Celaya in Mexico.
Federico Gutiérrez's Political Journey
Gutiérrez started his political career by being elected to the Medellín city council in 2003. He ran with the New Party (Nuevo Partido). Four years later, he was re-elected to the same position, this time representing the Party of the U (Partido de la U). In the 2007 election, he received a large number of votes, setting a local record at that time.
Leading the City Council
In 2008, during his second term on the city council, Federico Gutiérrez became its president. In his first term, he was one of the few council members who supported the mayor at the time, Sergio Fajardo (2004–2008). He later supported Mayor Alonso Salazar, though their political views eventually grew apart.
First Run for Mayor
Gutiérrez ran for mayor of Medellín in the 2011 city elections. He was the candidate for the Party of the U. In a very competitive race, he finished third. Even though he didn't win, his campaign had the support of former President Álvaro Uribe. Gutiérrez has always had good relationships with Uribe's political movement, which is very strong in Medellín.
Becoming Mayor of Medellín in 2015
After his first attempt to become mayor, Gutiérrez started planning for his next campaign in the 2015 city election. He officially announced his candidacy in 2014. He decided to run as an independent candidate, gathering signatures to get on the ballot instead of seeking a political party's nomination.
His campaign faced challenges, including criticism from former mayor Alonso Salazar. Salazar suggested that Gutiérrez was secretly working for Uribe's political group. Despite this, Gutiérrez remained popular in the polls. Just two weeks before the election, the Liberal Party's candidate, Eugenio Prieto, stepped down and supported Gutiérrez. This helped unite voters against another strong candidate, Juan Carlos Vélez.
Federico Gutiérrez surprisingly won the mayoral election on October 25, 2015. He narrowly defeated Juan Carlos Vélez by a small margin of votes. As mayor, he was often ranked among the top mayors in the country.
Presidential Elections in 2022
In August 2021, Federico Gutiérrez officially announced his plan to run for president of Colombia. He decided to run as an independent candidate, collecting signatures from citizens without the direct support of any major political party. While some right-wing politicians supported him, Gutiérrez stated he preferred a more central political position.
Joining the Equipo por Colombia Coalition
In November 2021, Gutiérrez joined a group of center-right politicians called Equipo por Colombia (Team for Colombia). This group included other well-known figures like Enrique Peñalosa and Alejandro Char. Gutiérrez quickly gained popularity in polls. He participated in a major debate with Gustavo Petro and Sergio Fajardo, who were also leading candidates. During this debate, Gutiérrez presented himself as a clear opponent to Gustavo Petro, who was number one in the polls. This helped him gain support from voters who were looking for an alternative to Petro.
Winning the Primary Election
During the parliamentary elections on March 13, 2022, primary elections were also held to choose presidential candidates. Gutiérrez won first place for Equipo por Colombia, receiving over 1.8 million votes. This significantly increased his chances of becoming President of Colombia in 2022.
Many of Colombia's traditional political parties, such as the Democratic Center, the Party of the U, and the Conservative Party, announced their support for him. His campaign focused on "preserving democracy and freedoms," arguing against the left-wing candidate, Gustavo Petro, whom he described as representing a "populist" approach.
Critics of Gutiérrez's campaign said it didn't focus enough on specific policy ideas. Some also tried to connect him to former presidents Iván Duque and Álvaro Uribe, who had lower approval ratings. They called him "Uribe's candidate" because Uribe's party supported him. However, Gutiérrez tried to show he was independent, and Uribe himself admitted that his presence might not help Gutiérrez's campaign.
In the end, Gutiérrez finished third in the 2022 presidential election. He then supported Rodolfo Hernández Suárez for the second round, encouraging voters to choose Hernández over Petro.
See also
In Spanish: Federico Gutiérrez para niños
