Luis Carlos Galán facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Luis Carlos Galán
Galán in 1988
Senator of Colombia
In office 20 July 1978 – 20 July 1989
Colombian Ambassador to Italy
In office 1972–1975
President	Misael Pastrana Borrero
Preceded by	Antonio Álvarez Restrepo
Succeeded by	Jaime Castro Castro
Colombian Minister of Education
In office 7 August 1970 – 4 May 1972
President	Misael Pastrana Borrero
Preceded by	Octavio Arizmendi Posada
Succeeded by	Juan Jacobo Muñoz
Personal details
Born	(1943-09-29)29 September 1943 Charalá, Santander, Colombia
Died	18 August 1989(1989-08-18) (aged 45) Soacha, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Cause of death	Assassination
Resting place	Central Cemetery of Bogotá
Political party	Liberal
Other political affiliations	New Liberalism (1979–1987)
Spouse	Gloria Pachón Castro (1971–1989)
Relations	Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento (cousin)
Children	3, including Juan Manuel Galán Pachón
Alma mater	Pontifical Xavierian University
Profession	Journalist

Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento (born September 29, 1943 – died August 18, 1989) was a Colombian politician and journalist. He was a member of the Colombian Liberal Party. Galán ran for the Presidency of Colombia two times.

He first ran with a political group he started called New Liberalism in 1979. This group was part of the main Liberal Party. Later, in 1989, Galán rejoined the Liberal Party. He wanted to become president in the 1990 Colombian presidential election.

Galán spoke out strongly against illegal groups and their influence in politics. He opposed powerful figures like Pablo Escobar. Escobar tried to join Galán's New Liberalism group but was rejected. Galán publicly spoke against Escobar and supported a treaty to send criminals to the U.S.

Galán received many threats to his life. On August 18, 1989, he was shot during a campaign event. This happened in the town of Soacha, Cundinamarca. At that time, Galán was very popular and expected to win the election. The investigation into his death is still ongoing.

Luis Carlos Galán's Life

Growing Up

Galán was born on September 29, 1943, in Bucaramanga, Santander. He had a happy childhood with his family. He was one of 12 children. In 1949, his family moved to Bogotá.

In Bogotá, Galán went to school at Colegio Americano. When he was only 8 years old, he joined a protest. Two years later, he moved to Colegio Antonio Nariño. At 14, Galán protested against the government of Gustavo Rojas Pinilla. He was even arrested and spent a night in jail.

In 1960, Galán finished high school with honors. He then studied law and economics at the Pontifical Xavierian University in Bogotá. In 1963, he started a university magazine called Vértice. This was his first experience in journalism. He met important leaders like former president Carlos Lleras Restrepo. Galán started working for the newspaper El Tiempo in 1965.

A Career in Journalism

While working at El Tiempo, Galán became a well-known journalist. He wrote many articles and columns. He became the assistant director of the newspaper. He also worked with the Nueva Frontera weekly magazine. He directed this magazine starting in 1976.

In 1977, Galán wrote an article for Nueva Frontera. He warned about the influence of illegal groups in Colombia. He also spoke about corruption in politics. Many people saw this as a warning for the future of the country.

One day, while interviewing President Misael Pastrana Borrero, Galán was surprised. The president offered him the job of Minister of Education. In 1986, Galán wrote his autobiography. He used the pen name "Cleo Tilde." His true identity was revealed in 1994.

His Political Journey

In 1970, Galán became the Minister of National Education. This was during President Misael Pastrana's time. His work as minister focused on social policies. In 1972, Galán became Colombia's Ambassador to Italy.

Later, in 1974, he also represented Colombia at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In 1976, Galán ran for a position in the town of Oiba. In 1977 and 1978, he supported Carlos Lleras Restrepo for president. Galán was elected as a Senator for the Santander Department.

On November 30, 1979, Galán started a new political group. It was called Nuevo Liberalismo. This group was part of the main Colombian Liberal Party. In the 1980s, Colombia faced many challenges from powerful illegal groups. Galán believed this was very bad for the country.

In 1980, Galán was elected to the city council of Bogotá. The next year, he was considered a possible candidate for president. His party, Nuevo Liberalismo, gained many votes. He was reelected as Senator. However, some people in the Liberal Party criticized him. They felt he was causing divisions.

In 1982, a powerful illegal leader, Pablo Escobar, tried to join Galán's party. Galán publicly refused him. This made Escobar and his group very angry. Galán continued his political work. He did not run for president in 1986. This helped the Liberal Party win the presidency with Virgilio Barco.

In 1987, Galán returned to the main Liberal Party. He wanted to become their official candidate for president. Galán was very concerned about the violence and corruption. He wanted to help the government fight these powerful groups.

The Nuevo Liberalismo group joined the government. Galán became very popular for speaking out against violence. On July 4, 1989, he announced he would run for president. His popularity quickly grew to 60%.

A Tragic End

Galán started receiving threats to his life. An attempt to harm him in Medellín on August 4, 1989, was stopped. Later, Galán's team received information about people planning to kill him in Bogotá. His staff advised him not to go to Soacha.

However, Galán decided to go to Soacha. On August 18, 1989, Galán walked onto a stage to give a speech. There were 10,000 people there. He was protected by eighteen bodyguards. But he was shot and killed. At least ten other people were hurt. This event led to a difficult time between the Colombian government and illegal groups.

Powerful illegal groups were worried about a treaty to send criminals to the United States. Some political rivals also feared Galán's growing power.

What Happened After His Death

César Gaviria had been Galán's campaign manager. Galán's family and supporters chose Gaviria to take his place. Gaviria was elected president in 1990.

In 2004, new information came out. A letter from one of the attackers suggested that some police and bodyguards helped in Galán's death. They were paid by illegal groups, including Pablo Escobar.

On May 13, 2005, Alberto Santofimio was arrested. He was a former Justice minister and congressman. He was known for his connections to Pablo Escobar. Santofimio was accused of planning Galán's murder.

On October 11, 2007, Santofimio was found guilty. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison. He was released later but the Supreme Court put him back in prison in 2011.

On November 25, 2010, an arrest warrant was issued for Miguel Maza Márquez. He was a former director of a security agency. Prosecutors said Maza intentionally reduced Galán's bodyguards. This made it easier for the attackers. In 2016, the Supreme Court sentenced Maza to 30 years in prison.

His Family

Luis Carlos Galán was the son of Mario Galán Gómez and Cecilia Sarmiento Suárez. He was one of their 12 children. His siblings were María Lucía, Gabriel, Cecilia, Helena, Elsa, Gloria, Antonio, Juan Daniel, Mario Augusto, Francisco Alberto, and María Victoria. He was a cousin of Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento. In 1971, he married journalist Gloria Pachón Castro. They had three children: Juan Manuel, Claudio Mario, and Carlos Fernando.

Galán in Popular Culture

• Luis Carlos Galán is played by actor Nicolás Montero in the TV series Football Dreams, a world of passion.
• In the TV series Tres Caínes, Galán is played by actor Walter Luengas.
• Galán appears in Ingrid Rojas Contreras's book Fruit of the Drunken Tree. The main character, Chula Santiago, is at the rally where Galán is killed.

Images for kids

• 

  Galán in 1988

See also

In Spanish: Luis Carlos Galán para niños