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 28 November 1974) is a Colombian politician. He is a civil engineer by training. He currently serves as the mayor of Medellín, a big city in Colombia. He was also mayor of Medellín from 2016 to 2019. Before becoming mayor, he was a member of the Medellín city council from 2004 to 2011. He belongs to the Creemos Colombia party. In 2022, he ran for president of Colombia.
Contents
About Federico Gutiérrez: Early Life and Education
Federico Gutiérrez was born in Medellín, Colombia, in 1974. His parents are Hernán Gutiérrez Isaza and Amparo Zuluaga Gómez. He married Margarita Gómez Marín in 2006. They have two children named Emilio and Pedro.
He studied civil engineering 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 helped plan the city's development from 2001 to 2003.
Before focusing on politics, Gutiérrez worked as an engineer. He also worked as a consultant on city safety. He advised cities like Buenos Aires in Argentina and Celaya in Mexico between 2011 and 2015.
Federico Gutiérrez's Political Journey
Gutiérrez started his political career in the Medellín city council. He was first elected in 2003 for the New Party. Four years later, he was re-elected for the Party of the U. In 2007, he received a very high number of votes, setting a local record at the time.
In 2008, during his second term, he became the president of the city council. He often supported the mayors of Medellín during his time on the council.
In 2011, Gutiérrez ran for mayor of Medellín for the first time. He was the candidate for the Party of the U. He finished third in a close race. Even though he didn't win, he received support from former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe. Gutiérrez has kept good relationships with Uribe's political group, which is strong in Medellín.
Becoming Mayor of Medellín in 2015
After his first mayoral attempt, Gutiérrez decided to run again in 2015. He officially announced his candidacy in 2014. He chose to run independently, gathering signatures from citizens instead of relying on a political party.
His campaign faced challenges. Another former mayor, Alonso Salazar, joined the race. Salazar criticized Gutiérrez, saying he was secretly supported by Uribe's group. Despite these challenges, Gutiérrez remained popular in the polls.
Just two weeks before the election, another candidate, Eugenio Prieto, dropped out and supported Gutiérrez. This helped unite voters against another strong candidate, Juan Carlos Vélez.
Federico Gutiérrez surprisingly won the mayoral election on 25 October 2015. He won by a small margin, defeating Juan Carlos Vélez by about 9,500 votes. As mayor, he was often ranked among the top mayors in the country.
Running for President in 2022
In August 2021, Federico Gutiérrez announced he would run for president of Colombia. He collected signatures to run independently, without direct support from a political party at first. He said he preferred a middle ground in politics, not strictly right-wing or left-wing.
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. Gutiérrez quickly became popular in polls. He participated in debates with other leading candidates, including Gustavo Petro and Sergio Fajardo. During these debates, Gutiérrez presented himself as an opponent to Gustavo Petro, who was leading in the polls.
On 13 March 2022, during the parliamentary elections, primary elections were also held to choose presidential candidates. Gutiérrez won the "Equipo por Colombia" primary with over 1.8 million votes. This greatly improved his chances of becoming president.
Many major political parties in Colombia, including the Democratic Center and the Liberal Party, supported him. His campaign focused on protecting democracy and freedoms. He argued against the left-wing candidate, Gustavo Petro.
Some people said Gutiérrez's campaign did not focus enough on new policy ideas. They also noted that he was not as well-known across the whole country as some of his rivals. Opponents tried to connect him to former presidents Iván Duque and Álvaro Uribe, who had faced low approval ratings. Gutiérrez tried to show he was independent, and even Uribe himself said his presence might not help Gutiérrez's campaign.
Gutiérrez finished third in the first round of the presidential election. He then supported Rodolfo Hernández Suárez for the second round, encouraging voters not to choose Petro.
See also
In Spanish: Federico Gutiérrez para niños
