Iván Duque facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Iván Duque
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Official portrait, 2018
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| 74th President of Colombia | |
| In office 7 August 2018 – 7 August 2022 |
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| Vice President | Marta Lucía Ramírez |
| Preceded by | Juan Manuel Santos |
| Succeeded by | Gustavo Petro |
| President pro tempore of PROSUR | |
| In office 12 December 2020 – 27 January 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Sebastián Piñera |
| Succeeded by | Mario Abdo Benítez |
| Senator of Colombia | |
| In office 20 July 2014 – 10 April 2018 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Iván Duque Márquez
1 August 1976 Bogotá, Colombia |
| Political party | Democratic Center |
| Spouse |
María Juliana Ruiz
(m. 2003) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Sergio Arboleda University American University Georgetown University |
| Signature |  |
Iván Duque Márquez ODB ODSC OSP GOM CYC OSC OMDSM GColIH (born August 1, 1976) is a Colombian politician and lawyer. He served as the President of Colombia from 2018 to 2022. He was chosen as the candidate for the Democratic Centre Party.
Even though he was not very well known a year before the election, he won thanks to the support of his mentor, former president Álvaro Uribe. His campaign promised to oppose the peace agreement with the FARC guerrilla group. After his term, Gustavo Petro became president on August 7, 2022.
While in office, Duque did not cancel the peace agreement with the FARC. During the Venezuelan refugee crisis, he welcomed many Venezuelans into Colombia. About 1.7 million refugees gained protected status. The COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia was another big challenge during his time as president. His presidency also saw protests against corruption, inequality, and a proposed tax. His approval rating dropped to about 30% in his last year.
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Early Life and Education
Iván Duque was born in Bogotá, Colombia. He came from a wealthy political family. His father, Iván Duque Escobar, was a powerful local leader. He served as Governor of Antioquia and Minister of Mines and Energy. His mother is Juliana Márquez Tono, a political scientist.
Duque went to Colegio Rochester and Colegio Winston-Salem in Bogotá. He earned a law degree from Sergio Arboleda University in 2000. He also studied in the United States. He has a Master of Laws (LLM) from American University. He also earned a Masters in Public Policy Management from Georgetown University.
Beginning His Career
Duque started his career in 1999 as a consultant. He worked at the CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. Later, he advised the Colombian Ministry of Finance. This was during the government of Andrés Pastrana (1998–2002).
From 2001 to 2013, he worked at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). He was one of Colombia's representatives there. He also led the Division of Culture, Solidarity, and Creativity. Duque also advised former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez. From 2010 to 2011, he was a consultant for the United Nations (UN). He helped with an investigation into the Gaza flotilla raid incident.
Political Journey to the Senate
Duque returned to Colombia to run for the Senate in 2014. He joined the Partido Centro Democrático (Democratic Center Party). This party was formed by former president Uribe. It opposed the peace talks that President Juan Manuel Santos had started with the FARC.
Uribe created a list of candidates for Congress. Duque was placed seventh on the list for the Senate. This meant he was elected as a senator.
During his time as a senator, he helped create four important laws:
- Law 1822 (2017): This law increased maternity leave from 14 to 18 weeks. This allowed mothers more time with their newborn children. It also helped adoptive mothers.
- Law 1831 (2017): This law required defibrillators in public places. This helps save lives, as heart attacks are a major cause of death in Colombia.
- Law 1809 (2016): This law allowed people to use their severance payments for education insurance. This helped more families send their children to university.
- Law 1834 (2017): Known as the "Orange Law," it supports creative and cultural industries.
Becoming President in 2018
On December 10, 2017, his party chose Duque as their candidate for president. He won the nomination through party surveys. In January 2018, he joined a group of center-right candidates for a primary election.
On March 11, 2018, Duque won the primary with over 4 million votes. He then announced Marta Lucía Ramírez as his running mate.
In the first round of the 2018 Colombian presidential election on May 27, 2018, Duque received the most votes (over 39%). He was elected President of Colombia on June 17, 2018. He defeated Gustavo Petro in the second round, with 54% of the votes.
Presidency (2018–2022)
Duque became president on August 7, 2018, at Bogotá's Bolívar Square. His government focused on legality and helping businesses.
His term ended on August 7, 2022. Gustavo Petro then became the new president.
Helping Venezuelan Refugees
President Duque continued policies to help with the Venezuelan refugee crisis. His government strongly supported Venezuelan refugees at the United Nations. Colombia provided aid, schooling, and healthcare for many of them. Duque was also critical of other South American countries that closed their borders to refugees.
In 2018, Colombia spent 0.5% of its government budget on supporting refugees. This was about 20% of Colombia's budget shortfall. Despite some opposition, Duque said: "For those who want to make from xenophobia a political path, we adopt the path of brotherhood." He added that Colombia would welcome and support migrants.
International groups have praised Duque's policies. They noted his efforts to legalize and help refugees. One representative said she had "never seen a government trying this hard to register people and leave the borders open." His decision to give temporary protected legal status to nearly 1.7 million Venezuelan migrants was widely praised.
International Relations
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Duque had a very close relationship with the Trump administration in the United States. He supported their projects in Colombia and Latin America. In return, Colombia received strong political support and billions of dollars in aid.
He continued the war on drugs as defined by the U.S. government. He also supported efforts for regime change in Venezuela. He called the Venezuelan government "dictatorial."
His government welcomed the removal of Bolivian President Evo Morales in 2019. He was also accused of interfering in the Ecuadorian elections of 2021. This was by saying a candidate was funded by a Colombian guerrilla group.
Duque kept good relations with the United States after Joe Biden became president in 2020. Even though Duque's party supported Donald Trump, the Biden administration still showed support for right-wing candidates in Colombia.
Domestic Policies
Duque was against the peace agreement signed in 2016 with the FARC. However, he said he would not "smash it to bits" when elected. Once in power, he tried to change some parts of the agreement. His government tried to weaken the Special Jurisdiction for Peace. They also cut the budget for the Truth Commission and the Unit for the Search for Disappeared Persons.
His government also promoted generals involved in extrajudicial executions. These are also known as "false positives" scandals. They appointed controversial people to important jobs. They also stopped talks with another guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN).
Duque's National Development Plan (2018-2022) aimed to boost Colombia's gold and copper markets. It also planned for 161 new oil drilling sites by 2022. Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) was made legal in 2019. Environmental groups criticized this plan. They said it was bad for the environment and climate. They also worried about giving non-renewable resources to foreign companies. This plan also threatened indigenous communities.
His time in office also saw an increase in deforestation.
Public Protests
The 2019–2020 Colombian protests started on November 21, 2019. Hundreds of thousands of Colombians protested against the Duque government. They supported the Colombian peace process. They also opposed government plans to change labor laws and reduce public pensions. Unions protested against tax reforms and plans to privatize state companies. The army was sent to major cities, and a curfew was put in place. Duque's disapproval rating reached almost 70%.
The 2021 Colombian protests began on April 28, 2021. These protests were against new taxes proposed by the Duque government during the pandemic.
Public Safety
Safety in Colombia became worse during Iván Duque's presidency. In four years, there were over 260 massacres. These events caused more than 1,100 deaths.
Violence against social leaders also increased a lot. By June 4, 2022, 930 social leaders had been killed. Also, 245 former FARC fighters who joined the peace process were killed during his government.
After the Presidency
Two days after his presidency ended, he was named a "distinguished fellow" at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. This is a U.S. government-funded think tank in Washington, D.C. He receives a monthly salary of $10,000 for this role.
He supports far-right candidate Javier Milei in the 2023 Argentine general election.
Published Books
Iván Duque has written several books. Some of his works include Monetary Sins (2007), Machiavelli in Colombia (2010), and Orange Effect (2015). Other books are IndignAcción (2017), The Future is at the Center (2018), and Archaeology of My Father (2018). He also wrote Humanism Matters (2019) and The Road to Zero (2021). He co-authored The Orange Economy: An Infinite Opportunity (2013).
Duque has also written articles for newspapers. These include El Colombiano, Portafolio, El Tiempo in Colombia, and El País in Spain.
Personal Life
Duque is Roman Catholic. He is married to María Juliana Ruiz Sandoval. They have three children: Luciana, Matías, and Eloísa.
Awards and Honors
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Duque has received several awards and honors:
- 2022:
- Woodrow Wilson Award for Global Public Service. This was given by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
- Planetary Leadership Award, from the National Geographic Society.
- 2023:
- Inaugural Cornell University Emerging Markets Institute Distinguished Fellow.
National Honors
Grand Collar of the Order of Boyacá.
Collar of the Order of San Carlos.
Grand Cross Extraordinary of the National Order of Merit.- Order of Merit Colonel Guillermo Fergusson.
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Foreign Honors
Brazil
Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross (2021).
Dominican Republic
Grand Cross with Gold Breast Star, Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella (2022).
Peru
Grand Collar of the Order of the Sun of Peru (2019).
Medal of Honor of the Congress of the Republic of Peru (2019).
Portugal
Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry (2022).
Spain
Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (2021).
South Korea
Grand Order of Mugunghwa (2021).
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See also
In Spanish: Iván Duque para niños
