Noemí Sanín facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Noemí Sanín Posada
Sanín at the World Economic Forum in 2010.
28th Colombia Ambassador to the United Kingdom
In office 19 November 2007 (2007-11-19) – 23 July 2009 (2009-07-23)
President	Álvaro Uribe
Preceded by	Carlos Eduardo Medellín
Succeeded by	Mauricio Rodríguez Múnera
22nd Colombia Ambassador to the United Kingdom
In office 17 October 1994 (1994-10-17) – 15 November 1995 (1995-11-15)
President	Ernesto Samper
Preceded by	Luis Prieto Ocampo
Succeeded by	Carlos Lemos Simmonds
Colombia Ambassador to Spain
In office 2002 – 19 November 2007 (2007-11-19)
President	Álvaro Uribe
Preceded by	Álvaro Villegas Mejía
Succeeded by	Carlos Rodado Noriega
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 8 November 1991 (1991-11-08) – 7 August 1994 (1994-08-07)
President	César Gaviria
Preceded by	Luis Fernando Jaramillo
Succeeded by	Rodrigo Pardo García-Peña
Colombian Ambassador to Venezuela
In office 1990 – 8 November 1991 (1991-11-08)
President	César Gaviria
Preceded by	Gustavo Vasco Muñoz
Succeeded by	Rodrigo Pardo García-Peña
Minister of Communications
In office 1983 – 7 August 1986 (1986-08-07)
President	Belisario Betancur Cuartas
Preceded by	Antonio Abello Roca
Succeeded by	Carlos Lemos Simmonds
Personal details
Born	Marta Noemí del Espíritu Santo Sanín Posada (1949-06-06) 6 June 1949 (age 76) Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Nationality	Colombian-Spanish
Political party	Conservative
Other political affiliations	Yes Colombia
Spouses	Diego Durán Cabal (1968–1975) Mario Alberto Rubio Caicedo (1980–1999)
Domestic partners	Javier Aguirre (2002–present)
Children	María Jimena Durán Sanín
Alma mater	Pontifical Xavierian University (LLB, 1973) Harvard University (WCIA Fellow, 2001)
Profession	Lawyer

Noemí Sanín Posada (born June 6, 1949) is a well-known Colombian politician and diplomat. She has held many important roles in her country's government and represented Colombia in other nations. She was also a candidate for president of Colombia.

Noemí Sanín is a trained lawyer. She studied at Pontifical Xavierian University and later at Harvard University. Throughout her career, she has served as an ambassador to the United Kingdom, Spain, and Venezuela. She has also been a minister in charge of foreign affairs and communications for Colombia.

Before joining the Conservative party for the 2010 presidential election, Sanín ran as an independent candidate in the 1998 and 2002 elections. She was supported by a group called Yes Colombia.

Learning and Studies

Noemí Sanín studied law at the Pontifical Xavierian University in Bogotá, Colombia. After her law degree, she continued her studies in commercial law and finance. She worked in the financial sector, both for government and private companies.

In 1998, Sanín moved to the United States. She lived in Boston and attended Harvard University. There, she was a special fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

A Career in Public Service

Noemí Sanín has had a long and impactful career in public service. She started in the financial sector and then moved into government roles.

Early Career in Finance

In 1976, Sanín became the Vice President of Operations and Credit at a company called Corporación de Ahorro y Vivienda (Colmena). She worked there until 1979. At just 30 years old, she was then appointed President of Colmena. This made her the first woman in Latin America to lead a financial corporation.

As President of Colmena, she helped many low-income families in Colombia get loans. She also expanded the company's network of branches across the country. She encouraged people to save money, which helped many families.

Minister of Communications (1983-1986)

From 1983 to 1986, Noemí Sanín served as the Minister of Communications for Colombia. She was appointed by President Belisario Betancur. During her time as minister, she helped create a new law, Law 42 of 1985. This law updated Television in Colombia and helped organize regional TV networks. She also supported the introduction of cable television. This law also modernized other government-owned telecommunication companies.

A Difficult Decision During a Crisis

In November 1985, a serious event happened at the Palace of Justice building in Colombia. As Minister of Communications, Sanín made the decision not to broadcast the events live on television or radio. Instead, regular programming continued. This decision led to discussions about how information was shared during a national crisis.

Working for Peace

President Betancur also chose Sanín to be part of a special group. This group visited the headquarters of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group. Their goal was to talk and find a peaceful way to end the conflict in Colombia.

Ambassador to Venezuela (1990-1991)

From 1990 to 1991, Sanín was Colombia's Ambassador to Venezuela. She was appointed by President César Gaviria. During her time as ambassador, trade between Colombia and Venezuela grew a lot. It increased from about US$300 million to US$1350 million each year.

Minister of Foreign Affairs (1991-1994)

On November 8, 1991, President Gaviria appointed Sanín as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. She was the first woman in Latin America to hold this important position. As minister, she updated how the ministry was organized.

She also helped Colombia gain a seat on the United Nations Security Council. Colombia also became the president of the Group of 77 and the Non-Aligned Movement. Sanín also signed a treaty, the Sanín-Robertson treaty, which helped settle border issues with Jamaica.

Ambassador to the United Kingdom (1994-1995)

In 1994, Sanín became Colombia's Ambassador to the United Kingdom. She encouraged British ministers to visit Colombia and helped arrange new airline routes between the two countries. British companies also invested in Colombia's mining, energy, and pharmaceutical industries. She left this role after about a year due to political issues happening in Colombia at the time.

Running for President (1998)

In the 1998 presidential elections, Noemí Sanín ran with her political group, Yes Colombia. She did very well, getting about 27% of the votes. She finished third in the first round of voting. She focused her campaign on reducing unemployment. She won the most votes in big cities like Bogotá and Medellín.

Running for President Again (2002)

In 2002, she ran for president again, still with her Yes Colombia party. This time, national security was the main topic of the election. She received 5.8% of the votes.

Ambassador to Spain (2003-2007)

In 2003, Sanín became Colombia's Ambassador to Spain. During her time there, she worked on issues related to Colombians living in Spain, including those who were in prison. She also promoted many cultural exchanges between the two countries. She advocated for temporary work and training opportunities for Colombians in Spain. In November 2007, she was transferred to the United Kingdom.

Ambassador to the United Kingdom (2007-2009)

On November 19, 2007, President Álvaro Uribe asked the government of the United Kingdom to approve Sanín as Colombia's ambassador there. She served in this role until July 23, 2009, when she resigned.

Presidential Candidate (2010)

In 2010, she ran for president once more, this time as a member of the Conservative party. She won the party's primary election. However, she was not able to win the general election, which was won by Juan Manuel Santos.

Personal Life

Noemí Sanín was born on June 6, 1949, in Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia. She was the third of fifteen children born to Jaime Sanín Echeverri and Noemí Posada Saldarriaga. Her father was a writer and journalist, and her mother was a teacher.

She married Diego Durán Cabal when she was 19. They had one daughter, María Jimena. They divorced in 1975. She later married Mario Alberto Rubio Caicedo, a lawyer, but that marriage ended in 1999.

See also

In Spanish: Noemí Sanín para niños