Famous People From Colombia
- Sofía Vergara, a Colombian-American actress, producer, and model, first gained recognition in the 1990s. Born on July 10, 1972, in Barranquilla, Colombia, she was discovered by a photographer while strolling on a Colombian beach and was quickly presented with offers in modeling and television work. This was the beginning of her journey into the world of fame and entertainment. She studied dentistry at a university in Colombia for three years before dropping out to pursue her career in modeling and acting, which eventually led her to relocate to Miami to avoid unrest in Colombia due to her older brother's kidnapping. Vergara's acting career took off when she starred in her first film, Big Trouble in 2002, and then in the comedic drama Chasing Papi. However, it was her role as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on the hit sitcom Modern Family that skyrocketed her fame. From 2009 to 2020, she received critical acclaim for her performance, earning multiple nominations for Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Her vivacious character and authentic representation of a Latino family in America resonated with audiences worldwide, making her a household name. Beyond acting, Vergara is also recognized for her entrepreneurial spirit. She co-founded Latin World Entertainment, a talent management and entertainment marketing firm. As a cancer survivor, she's used her platform to raise awareness about early detection, preventive care, and medical treatment. Vergara has also launched successful clothing and perfume lines, demonstrating her versatile talent as a businesswoman. Her journey from a beachside discovery in Colombia to becoming one of the most influential Latina women in Hollywood embodies her resilience and determination.
- Birthplace: Barranquilla, Colombia
Best Sofia Vergara MoviesSee all
- 1Hot Pursuit62 Votes
- 2Wild Card26 Votes
- 3Four Brothers25 Votes
- Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈðɾes eskoˈβaɾ salðari'aga]; 13 March 1967 – 2 July 1994) was a Colombian footballer who played as a defender. He played for Atlético Nacional, BSC Young Boys, and the Colombia national team. Nicknamed The Gentleman, he was known for his clean style of play and calmness on the pitch.Escobar was murdered in the aftermath of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, reportedly as retaliation for having scored an own goal which contributed to the team's elimination from the tournament. His murder tarnished the image of the country internationally. Escobar himself had worked to promote a more positive image of Colombia, earning acclaim in the country. In 2013, then-coach Francisco Maturana denied that Escobar's murder had any connection to football or the World Cup, but rather was due to his being "in the wrong place at the wrong time" at a violent time in Colombia's history.Escobar is still held in high regard by Colombian fans, and is especially mourned and remembered by Atlético Nacional's fans.
- Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
- Álvaro Gómez Hurtado (May 8, 1919 – November 2, 1995) was a Colombian lawyer, politician, journalist and active member of the Colombian Conservative Party. Gómez was a son of the former President of Colombia, Laureano Gómez. He is mostly remembered for being one of the writers of the Colombian Constitution of 1991 and for running three times for the presidency, but without success. He served separate appointments as ambassador to Italy, the United States and France, beginning in the 1980s.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Rafael Uribe Uribe
Dec. at 55 (1859-1914)Rafael Victor Zenón Uribe Uribe (born April 12, 1859 – died October 15, 1914 in Bogotá) was a Colombian lawyer, journalist, and general in the liberal party rebel army.Uribe Uribe is best known for his political ideas in favor of the establishment of Guild socialism and trade unions in Colombia, his diplomatic work and his support of Colombian coffee growers in fighting diseases such as rust. One of his greatest contributions was, along with Benjamin Herrera, the founding of the Republican University that later became the Free University of Colombia. The Rafael Uribe Uribe Palace of Culture in Medellín is named after him.- Birthplace: Valparaíso, Antioquia, Colombia
- Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa (born in September 2, 1956 in Manizales, Caldas, died in Bogotá, Cundinamarca on March 22, 1990) was a Colombian politician and member of the Colombian Communist Party. Jaramillo started working primarily in the Urabá Antioquia region until 1987 when he assumed the presidency of the Patriotic Union Party (UP) after the assassination of Jaime Pardo.
- Birthplace: Manizales, Colombia
Alex Angarita
Age: 46Alex Angarita is a former contestant on the reality television show Survivor: Fiji.- Birthplace: Colombia
- Adriana Arboleda (born 1978) is a Colombian model and presenter.
- Birthplace: Cali, Colombia
- Juan Manuel Santos Calderón (Spanish: [ˈxwam maˈnwel ˈsantos kaldeˈɾon]; born 10 August 1951) is a Colombian politician. From 2010 to 2018, he was the President of Colombia. He was the sole recipient of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. An economist by profession and a journalist by trade, Santos is a member of the wealthy and influential Santos family, who from 1913 to 2007 were the majority shareholders of the newspaper El Tiempo until its sale to Planeta DeAgostini in 2007. He was a cadet at the Navy Academy in Cartagena. Shortly after graduating from the University of Kansas, he joined the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia as an economic advisor and delegate to the International Coffee Organization in London, where he also attended the London School of Economics. In 1981, he was appointed deputy director of El Tiempo newspaper, becoming its director two years later. Santos earned a mid-career/master's in public administration in 1981 from Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) and was a 1988 Nieman Fellow for his award-winning work as a columnist and reporter. Santos was a Fulbright visiting fellow at Fletcher at Tufts University in 1981. Santos served as a member and Vice Chair of the Washington-based think tank the Inter-American Dialogue and was president of the Freedom of Expression Commission for the Inter American Press Association. In 1991, he was appointed by President César Gaviria Trujillo as Colombia's first Minister of Foreign Trade. Santos worked in expanding international trade with Colombia, and worked in creating various agencies for this purpose including: Proexport, Bancoldex and Fiducoldex. In 2000, he was appointed by President Andrés Pastrana Arango as the 64th Minister of Finance and Public Credit.Santos rose to prominence during the Administration of President Álvaro Uribe Vélez. In 2005, he co-founded and led the Social Party of National Unity (Party of the U), a liberal-conservative party coalition that backed the policies of President Uribe, successfully supporting his attempt to seek a Constitutional reform to be able to run for a second term. In 2006, after Uribe's re-election, when the Party of the U won a majority of seats in the two chambers of Congress, Santos was appointed as Minister of National Defence, and continued defending the security policies of President Uribe, taking a strong and forceful stance against FARC and the other guerrilla groups operating in Colombia. Santos also created the Good Government Foundation. In 2010, Santos won the presidential election as the protégé of his predecessor Álvaro Uribe Vélez. However, some months after Santos' possession, Uribe became his strongest opponent, who also founded, three years later, the opposition party Democratic Center. This rivalry determined both Santos' unpopularity and his near-missed defeat during the presidential election in 2014 before Uribe's protégé Oscar Iván Zuluaga.On 7 October 2016, Santos was announced as recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, for his efforts negotiating a peace treaty with the FARC-guerrilla in the country, despite the unsuccessful referendum held over the deal, a "no" campaign led by Uribe's party Democratic Center. The Colombian government and the FARC signed a revised peace deal on 24 November and sent it to Congress for ratification instead of conducting a second referendum. Both houses of Congress ratified the revised peace accord on 29–30 November 2016, thus marking an end to the conflict. Juan Manuel Santos has been named as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people. However, Santos left office with one of the lowest levels of popular approval ever, and his successor was the new Uribe's protégé, Ivan Duque Marquez, a moderate critic of Santos' peace treaty with the FARC-guerilla.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
- Gustavo Rojas Pinilla (12 March 1900 – 17 January 1975) was the 19th President of Colombia from June 1953 to May 1957. An Army General, he mounted a successful coup d'état against the incumbent President, Laureano Gómez Castro (1889—1965), imposing martial law and establishing a dictatorship-style government in Colombia.
- Birthplace: Tunja, Colombia
- Belisario Betancur Cuartas (4 February 1923 – 7 December 2018) was a Colombian politician who served as the 26th President of Colombia from 1982 to 1986. He was a member of the Colombian Conservative Party. His presidency was noted for its attempted peace talks with several Colombian guerilla groups. He was also one of the few presidents to abstain from participating in politics after leaving office.
- Birthplace: Amagá, Colombia
- Lina Marulanda (15 May 1980 – 22 April 2010) was a Colombian television personality and model.
- Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
- Álvaro Uribe Vélez (born 4 July 1952) is a Colombian politician who served as the 31st President of Colombia from 7 August 2002 to 7 August 2010. Uribe studied law. Álvaro Uribe focused his political career and became a member of the Colombian Liberal Party. In 1993 he attended Harvard University, receiving a Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management at Harvard Extension School and Certificate in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at Harvard Law School. Between 1998 and 1999, he studied at St Antony's College, Oxford, England, on a Chevening-Simón Bolívar scholarship and was appointed Senior Associate Member at St Antony's College. Uribe started his political career in his home department of Antioquia. He has held office in the Empresas Públicas de Medellín and in the Ministry of Labor and was the director of the Special Administrative Unit of Civil Aeronautics (1980–1982). He was named Mayor of Medellín in October 1982 by Belisario Betancur. However, he was discharged of his function in February 1983, five months after his appointment, by Président Betancur for his alleged collaboration with drug traffickers. He was Senator between 1986 and 1994 and finally Governor of Antioquia between 1995 and 1997 before he was elected President of Colombia in 2002. Following his 2002 election, Uribe led successful campaigns against leftist guerilla groups the FARC and the ELN, as well as leading a successful effort in the demoblizing of the rightwing paramilitary group known as the AUC, all of which are part the Colombian Armed Conflict. On 13 January 2009 the United States awarded President Uribe the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role in fighting along the US lead War on Terror in the Colombian Armed Conflict. However, his role in the conflict was accompanied by large-scale exactions: thousands of civilians were killed by the Colombian army (see "False positives" scandal) with almost total impunity, according to the United Nations. and millions of people have been victims of forced displacement.In an official document of the Defense Intelligence Agency, dated 1991, Álvaro Uribe appears at number 82 of a list containing the names of the most important drug dealers in Colombia. Uribe is described there as a collaborator of the Medellín Cartel and intimate friend of Pablo Escobar; he is also accused of possessing financial interests in companies engaged in drug trafficking and would have assisted the cartel with regard to extradition laws. Recently released diplomatic cables show that a Colombian senator told the U.S. Embassy in 1993 that the founders of the Medellín Cartel financed Uribe's senate election campaign. Despite the allegations and controversies, he left office in August 2010 with an 80% approval rating, and as of 2019, continues to be a powerful figure in Colombian politics and society, as many of the political ideologies that were first introduced during his time as President are known as Uribismo.In August 2010 he was appointed Vice-chairman of the UN panel investigating the Gaza flotilla raid. In 2012 Uribe and a group of political allies founded the Democratic Center movement to contest the 2014 national elections. He was elected senator in the 2014 parliamentary election and took office in July 2014. Uribe was critical of his successor Juan Manuel Santos's peace-talks with the FARC guerillas.
- Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
- Alfonso López Pumarejo (31 January 1886 – 20 November 1959) was a Colombian political figure, who twice served as President of Colombia, as a member of the Colombian Liberal Party. He served as President of Colombia for the first time between 1934 and 1938 and again between 1942 and 1945.
- Birthplace: Honda, Colombia
- Ramón González Valencia (May 24, 1851 – October 3, 1928) was a Colombian conservative, military officer and statesman. He participated in the civil wars of 1876, Colombian Civil War of 1895, and the Thousand Days War.
- Birthplace: Chitagá, Colombia
- Alberto Lleras Camargo (3 July 1906 – 4 January 1990) was the 20th President of Colombia (1958–1962), and the 1st Secretary General of the Organization of American States (1948–1954). A journalist and liberal party politician, he also served as Minister of Government, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and as Minister of National Education in the administrations of President Alfonso López Pumarejo. He briefly attended the National University of Colombia in Bogotá to study politics, but dropped out later to pursue journalism. Lleras Camargo served as congressman of Colombia. He was also a cousin of later president Carlos Lleras Restrepo. He died in 1990 after suffering a long illness.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
- Andrés Pastrana Arango (born August 17, 1954) was the 30th President of Colombia from 1998 to 2002, following in the footsteps of his father, Misael Pastrana Borrero, who was president from 1970 to 1974. As of 2017, he is the last president to come from the Conservative Party.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
- Doris Salcedo (born 1958) is a Colombian-born visual artist and sculptor. Her work is influenced by her experiences of life in Colombia, and is generally composed of commonplace items such as wooden furniture, clothing, concrete, grass, and rose petals. Salcedo’s work gives form to pain, trauma, and loss, while creating space for individual and collective mourning. These themes stem from her own personal history. Members of her own family were among the many people who have disappeared in politically troubled Colombia. Much of her work deals with the fact that, while the death of a loved one can be mourned, their disappearance leaves an unbearable emptiness. Salcedo currently lives and works in Bogotá, Colombia.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
- Rafael Wenceslao Núñez Moledo (September 28, 1825 – September 18, 1894) was a Colombian author, lawyer, journalist and politician, who was elected president of Colombia in 1880 and in 1884.
- Birthplace: Cartagena, Colombia
Francisco Javier Zaldúa
Dec. at 71 (1811-1882)Francisco Javier Martínez de Zaldúa y Racines was a Colombian, lawyer and politician, elected President of Colombia in 1882.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
- Pedro Nel Ignacio Tomás de Villanueva Ospina Vásquez (18 September 1858 – 1 July 1927) was a Colombian General and political figure. He served as president of Colombia between 1922 and 1926.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Fabio Valencia Cossio
Age: 76Fabio Valencia Cossio (nacido en Medellín, Antioquia, el 23 de marzo de 1948) es un abogado y político colombiano. Es bachiller del Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola, de los jesuitas y estudió Derecho en la Universidad de Antioquia. Ha militado en el Partido Conservador Colombiano ocupando varios cargos entre ellos el de senador, embajador en Italia, negociador de paz, consejero presidencial y desde Ministro del Interior y de Justicia desde el 2008 hasta el 2010.- Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
Carlos Lleras Restrepo
Dec. at 86 (1908-1994)Carlos Alberto Lleras Restrepo (12 April 1908 – 27 September 1994) is a Colombian politician and lawyer who served the 22nd President of Colombia from 1966 to 1970.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
- Jorge Marcelo Holguín Mallarino (30 October 1848 – 2 March 1928) was a Colombian politician and military officer, two time Acting President of Colombia: June–August 1909 as interim president, and from November 1921 to August 1922. He also served a term as Minister of Foreign Affairs in which he signed the Holguín-Avebury treaty.
- Birthplace: Cali, Colombia
- Jesús Alejandro Montero López (born November 28, 1989) is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners. Signed by the Yankees in 2006, Montero became one of the best prospects in baseball. He debuted in MLB with the Yankees during the 2011 season, and was traded to the Mariners for Michael Pineda during the 2011-12 offseason. After his rookie year in 2012, Montero struggled with the Mariners in 2013 before ending his season with a 50-game suspension for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal. He spent most of the 2014 and 2015 seasons in the minor leagues. His last major league game occurred on October 3, 2015 for the Mariners. Montero was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016 and the Baltimore Orioles in 2017 but spent his time on their minor league teams. He was signed by the Sultanes de Monterrey in 2017 and Generales de Durango in 2018 but was released from both teams.
- Birthplace: Guacara, Venezuela
Rigoberto Urán
Age: 38Rigoberto Urán Urán, ODB (born 26 January 1987) is a Colombian professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam EF Education First.At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he won a silver medal in the road race. He became the first Colombian ever to make the podium of the Giro d'Italia, when he finished second behind Vincenzo Nibali in the 2013 edition of the race, having taken leadership of Team Sky following the abandonment of team captain Bradley Wiggins. He also won a mountain-top stage in that race with a solo breakaway. The previous year, he had won the white jersey for best young rider, and a seventh-place finish overall. In the 2014 Giro d'Italia he finished second again in the general classification, this time behind countryman Nairo Quintana. His most impressive result came at the 2017 Tour de France, where he won a stage and finish 2nd overall.- Birthplace: Urrao, Colombia
- Teresita Román de Zurek (Cartagena, Colombia, 29 December 1925) is a Colombian writer and chef.
- Birthplace: Colombia
- Laureano Eleuterio Gómez Castro (20 February 1889 – 13 July 1965) was a Colombian politician and civil engineer who served the 18th President of Colombia from 1950 to 1953. In November 1951 poor health led him to cede presidential power to Roberto Urdaneta Arbelaez. On 13 June 1953, when he tried to resume his presidency, he was overthrown in a military coup led by Gustavo Rojas Pinilla. During the three decades prior to being elected president, Gómez was a radical leader of the Conservative Party and is widely considered to be one of the most brilliant and potent orators of the Congress of Colombia. However, he remains a controversial figure because of his sympathy for authoritarian regimes and the dictatorial nature of his government.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Mariano Ospina Pérez
Dec. at 84 (1891-1976)Luis Mariano Ospina Pérez (24 November 1891 – 14 April 1976), commonly known as Mariano Ospina Pérez, was a Colombian politician and a member of the Colombian Conservative Party. He served as the 17th President of Colombia between 1946 and 1950.- Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
- Under the best of circumstances, it would be difficult to enter a creative career if you were the son of Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. But for Rodrigo Garcia, it's seemingly been a non-issue as he's made his way in the world of film behind the camera as a respected director and screenwriter. Born in Bogota in Colombia, Garcia got his start in 1988 as the cinematographer for a Cuban television adaptation of his father's story "El verano de la senora Forbes." During the 1990s, he expanded his experience as a camera operator/cinematographer to include a number of English-language motion pictures including "Reality Bites," "The Birdcage," and "Gia." It was not until 2000 that Garcia made his directorial debut with the self-penned psychological drama "Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her." The film won awards from the Cannes Film Festival and the Writers Guild of America. By this time, HBO pursued him to direct episodes of some of the network's biggest series--" Six Feet Under," "Carnivale," "The Sopranos," and the 2006 Emmy-nominated pilot of "Big Love." Amidst all this work, Garcia wrote and directed the 2005 ensemble film "Nine Lives," which received accolades at the Independent Spirit Awards. HBO unsurprisingly asked him back to write, direct, and executive produce the 2008 season of "In Treatment." Returning to the big screen, Garcia directed the moving 2010 drama "Mother and Child," and the 2011 cross-dressing period piece "Albert Nobbs," starring Glenn Close.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Margarita Pagliai
- Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
Rafael Reyes
Dec. at 71 (1849-1921)Rafael Reyes Prieto (December 5, 1849 – February 18, 1921) was Chief of Staff of the Colombian National Army and President of Colombia (1904–1909).- Birthplace: Santa Rosa de Viterbo, Colombia
Marco Fidel Suárez
Dec. at 71 (1855-1927)Marco Fidel Suárez (April 23, 1855 – April 3, 1927) was a Colombian political figure. He served as president of Colombia from 1918 to 1921. He was born on April 23, 1855, in the town of Hatoviejo, Antioquia. His parents were Rosalía Suárez and José María Barrientos.- Birthplace: Bello, Colombia
- Antonio Rivas Padilla is a Colombian accordion player. He has gotten to know many of the great masters of the Vallenato's folklore such as Alejendro Duran; Abel Antonio Villa; Mariano Perez; Pablo Garcia; Emilianito Zuleta; Alfredo Gutierrez; Ismael Rudas; Pablo Lopez and many others.
- Birthplace: Istmina, Colombia
- Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego (Local Spanish pronunciation: [ɡusˈtaβo fɾanˈsisko ˈpe.tɾo uˈreɣo]; born April 19, 1960) is a Colombian ex-guerrilla, politician, economist, and presidential candidate who previously served as mayor of Bogotá. As a left-wing politician, Petro was a member of the guerrilla group M-19 in the 1980s, which later evolved into the Alianza Democrática M-19, a political party in which Petro also participated as a member of the national congress in the 1990s. Petro also served as a senator as a member of the Alternative Democratic Pole party following the 2006 legislative elections with the second largest vote in the country. In 2009, he resigned his position to aspire to the presidency of Colombia in the 2010 Colombian presidential election, finishing fourth in the race. After problems and ideological differences with the leaders of the Alternative Democratic Pole, he founded the left-wing Progresistas movement to compete for the mayoralty of Bogotá. On October 30, 2011, he was elected Mayor of Bogotá in the local elections of the city, position that he assumed on January 1, 2012.On May 27, 2018 he came second in the first round of the presidential election with over 25% of the vote and lost to Iván Duque Márquez in the run-off election on June 17.
- Birthplace: Ciénaga de Oro, Colombia
- Andrés Useche is an award-winning Colombian American writer, film director, graphic artist, singer-songwriter and activist.
- Birthplace: Manizales, Colombia
- Gabriel París Gordillo (March 8, 1910 – March 21, 2008) was President of Colombia from May 1957 to August 1958 as Chairman of the Colombian Military Junta Government following the 1957 Coup d'état.
- Birthplace: Ibagué, Colombia
- Álvaro José Arroyo González (also known as Joe Arroyo or El Joe; 1 November 1955 – 26 July 2011) was a Colombian salsa and tropical music singer, composer and songwriter. He was considered one of the greatest performers of Caribbean music in his country.
- Birthplace: Cartagena, Colombia
- Fernando Vallejo Rendón (born 1942 in Medellín, Colombia) is a Colombian-born novelist, filmmaker and essayist. He obtained Mexican nationality in 2007.
- Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
- Roberto Urdaneta Arbeláez (27 June 1890 – 20 August 1972) is a Colombian Conservative party politician and lawyer who served as President of Colombia from November 1951 until June 1953, while President Laureano Gómez was absent due to health issues.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
- Nina Garcia
- Birthplace: Barranquilla, Colombia
- Francisco Santos Calderón (born October 14, 1961 in Bogotá), also known as Pacho Santos, is a Colombian politician and journalist. Santos was elected as Álvaro Uribe's second runner up and became Vice President in the Colombian elections of 2002. Santos was re-elected in the presidential elections of 2006 for a second term once again with President Uribe to continue as Vice President of Colombia. His great-uncle Eduardo Santos was President of Colombia from 1938 to 1942 and the succeeding president of Colombia (Juan Manuel Santos) is his cousin. He is currently serving as Ambassador of Colombia to the United States. He presented his credentials to president Donald Trump on September 17, 2018.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Francisco José de Caldas
Dec. at 48 (1768-1816)Francisco José de Caldas (October 4, 1768 – October 28, 1816) was a Colombian lawyer, military engineer, self-taught naturalist, mathematician, geographer and inventor (he created the first hypsometer), who was executed by orders of Pablo Morillo during the Spanish American Reconquista for being a forerunner of the fight for the independence of New Granada (modern day Colombia).- Birthplace: Popayán, Colombia
- Aurelijus Rūtenis Antanas Mockus Šivickas (born 25 March 1952) is a Colombian mathematician, philosopher, and politician. He has a master's degree in philosophy from the Colombian University, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, and a Honoris Causa PhD from L’université de Paris. He is the son of Lithuanian immigrants. He left office as the president of the National University of Colombia in Bogotá in 1993, and later that year ran a successful campaign for mayor. He proceeded to preside over Bogotá as mayor for two (non-consecutive) terms, during which he became known for springing surprising and humorous initiatives upon the city's inhabitants. These tended to involve grand gestures, including local artists or personal appearances by the mayor himself—taking a shower in a commercial about conserving water, or walking the streets dressed in spandex and a cape as Supercitizen. On 4 March 2010, he was elected in a public consultation as the Colombian Green Party candidate for the presidential election in 2010. On 4 April 2010, Antanas Mockus chose Sergio Fajardo, former mayor of Medellín, as his vice-presidential running mate. On 9 April 2010 he announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He told La W radio: "The prediction is that this will not affect my mental activities. I think it is absolutely fitting to tell the people about the diagnosis and about the prognosis—which is 12 years or more of normal life thanks to medication." Mockus finished second in the polling, leading to a runoff election with Juan Manuel Santos, which Santos won. Mockus resigned from the Green Party in June 2011 because he opposed its Bogotá mayoral candidate being supported by former right-wing President Álvaro Uribe.He became Senator of the Republic of Colombia in July 2018, after being the second candidate with the most votes in the legislative elections held on March 11, 2018. He is also the president of the Corporación Visionarios por Colombia (Corpovisionarios), center of thought and non-profit action that investigates, advises, designs and implements actions to achieve voluntary changes in collective behavior.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Gustavo Bell
Age: 67Gustavo Adolfo Bell Lemus (born February 1, 1957) is the current Ambassador of Colombia to Cuba. A lawyer, economist and historian, he served as the seventh Vice President of Colombia between 1998 and 2002 under the administration of Andrés Pastrana Arango, during which time he also served concurrently as High Commissioner for Human Rights of Colombia and as Minister of National Defence between 2001 and 2002. In 1992, as the 53rd Governor of Atlántico, he became the first popularly elected Governor of the Department following the enactment of the 1991 Colombian Constitution.- Birthplace: Barranquilla, Colombia
Gerardo Giraldo
Age: 48Gerardo Giraldo is a film score composer, music producer and guitarist.- Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
Hugo Angel
Age: 70PROFESIONAL:I'm Hugo Angel a Colombian Electronics Engineer from the old school that still enjoys hacking both hardware and software. Jointly with the late and remembered Alejandro Henao, Fernando Vallejo, Silvio Gnecco, we worked hard for 18 months during our spare time back in 1983, to design, build functional prototypes, write firmware and Multiplan(Spreadsheet) application software for a Poll/Select networked Industrial Control System that would become the Sekky System, root for the Electronics Division of Carvajal S.A. Those were really funny and hectic days. Later I became mostly involved with XML/XSL (Cocoon), Rich Media (Flash) and Ajax hacking Today I'm embarked in a venture, "Nomad Mind", that pursues developing projects blending Culture. Science and Technology. The first result of this is the "Smart Green Architecture" SGA (Arquitectura Verde Interactiva) project has been started. SGA is the result of the alliance of "Nomad Mind" with the research teams/labs on Energy, Materials, Environment and Architecture from UPB university. Due to its interdisciplinary focus, with a strong emphasis in Culture (people and aesthetics), Science and Engineering, SGA has been selected for the 2009 Colombian Regional Arts Salon. "Nomad Mind" has another project "Laboratorio de Pensamiento" (Thinking lab) I dream on creating the SemantiCol or Semantic Colombia, that consolidates and publish in a globally useful information on My Country and can be a pilot project for SemantiCountry, with the same aims for every country in the world PERSONAL INTERESTS: Laura and Alejandro, my kids Peace, Justice and Opportunities for everybody in Colombia To learn and to apply Improve Colombian Education System Apply emerging and mature ICT technology in problem solution Art/Inner expression using technology as a new media/tool Late Rory Gallagher's blues/rock- Birthplace: Cartagena, Colombia
- María Lucía Fernández (born October 14, 1968 in Bogotá) is a Colombian journalist and news presenter. She worked as a model in her teens to afford her studies in Social Communication at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. As news presenter, she worked in TV shows like Panorama, QAP Noticias and 7:30 Caracol. Since 1998, she's one of the main newsreaders at Caracol Noticias. She also worked at Caracol Radio until 2004. Fernández, also known as Malú, likes to write and read in her free time.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
- Bartolomé Calvo Díaz de Lamadrid (August 24, 1815 – January 2, 1889) was a Colombian lawyer, journalist, and statesman, who became President of the Granadine Confederation, in what is now Colombia, in 1861 in his role as Inspector General, because no elections were held on that year to decide the presidency. He also served as Governor of Panama and Ambassador to Ecuador, and worked in a number of newspapers.
- Birthplace: Cartagena, Colombia
Jaime Bermúdez
Age: 59Jaime Bermúdez Merizalde (born c. 1966) is a Colombian lawyer and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia from 2008 to 2010.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
José Eusebio Otalora
Dec. at 58 (1826-1885)José Eusebio Otálora Martínez was a Colombian statesman and General who became President of the United States of Colombia in 1882 in his capacity as the Second Presidential Designate following the death of President Francisco Javier Zaldúa, and the non acceptance of the office by the First Designate Rafael Núñez- Birthplace: Fúquene, Colombia
Laura Restrepo
Age: 75Laura Restrepo (born 1950 in Bogotá, Colombia) is a Colombian author who began writing what were mainly political columns in her mid-twenties. Her first novel, Isle of Passion, is based on historical deeds that occurred on Clipperton Island.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Patricia Torres Ray
Age: 60Patricia Torres Ray (born March 25, 1964) is a Colombian-born American politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represents District 63, which includes portions of southeastern Minneapolis and eastern Richfield in Hennepin County in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. She is the first Latina woman to serve in the Minnesota Senate. She ran for Congress in Minnesota’s 5th district to succeed Congressman Keith Ellison, but lost in the primary to Ilhan Omar.- Birthplace: Pasto, Colombia, Colombia
- Fernelly Castillo is an Equatoguinean soccer player.
- Birthplace: Cali, Colombia
Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera
Dec. at 80 (1798-1878)Tomás Cipriano Ignacio María de Mosquera-Figueroa y Arboleda-Salazar (September 26, 1798 – October 7, 1878) was a Colombian general and political figure. He was president of Colombia four times. The first time was as president of Republic of New Granada from 1845 to 1849. During the Colombian Civil War of 1860–1862 he led liberal forces in a civil war against conservative factions. After the liberals won, a new, federalist constitution was implemented, which established a two-year presidency, and the nation renamed the United States of Colombia. Mosquera served twice as president of the new government. From 1861 to 1862 he served in a non-elected, interim manner, while the constitution was written. From 1862 to 1864 he served in an elected manner. He had a fourth term from 1866 to 1867. Due to the liberal reforms carried out under his leadership, he is considered one of the most important persons in Colombian history of the 19th century. Due to large facial wounds received during a battle in 1824, he required the use of a metal prosthesis in his jaw. This affected his ability to speak, which was marked by blowing and whistling sounds. As a result, Mosquera was derisively nicknamed "Mascachochas" (Gaga-chew) by some of his contemporary critics.- Birthplace: Popayán, Colombia
- José Luis González Sanjuan, better known by the pen name Fernando Denis, is a Colombian poet and author. He was born in Cienaga, Magdalena, Colombia, in 1968.
- Birthplace: Ciénaga, Magdalena, Colombia
- Francisco Antonio Maturana García, also known as Pacho Maturana (born February 15, 1949) is a Colombian ex-football player and football manager. During his time managing most noticeably Atletico Nacional and the Colombian national football team, he achieved success marking an era in Colombian football by leading Nacional to be the first Colombian team to win the Copa Libertadores in 1989, while winning Colombia's first ever national title: the Copa America in 2001. He is currently a member of the FIFA Football Committee.
- Birthplace: Quibdó, Colombia
Mariano Ospina Rodríguez
Dec. at 79 (1805-1885)Mariano Ospina Rodríguez was a Colombian politician, journalist and lawyer, founder of the Colombian Conservative Party and later President of Colombia between 1857 and 1861 during the Granadine Confederation.- Birthplace: Guasca, Colombia
Carlos Lemos Simmonds
Dec. at 69 (1933-2003)Carlos Apolinar Lemos Simmonds (October 23, 1933 – July 30, 2003) was the sixth Vice President of Colombia.- Birthplace: Popayán, Colombia
- Álvaro Araújo Castro (born 7 November 1967) is a Colombian economist and former actor and Senator of Colombia. A Liberal politician, and leader of the ALAS-Team Colombia political movement, he was arrested and jailed in 2007 for participating in parapolitics. Prior to serving in the Senate, he was also a Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia from 1994 to 2001.
- Birthplace: Santa Marta, Colombia
- Nataly Rivera best known as Naëla, is a Colombian singer, author and songwriter. She made her music debut as the opening act in the show that Mexican group Camila gave in Bogota in 2010. Followed this, she released her debut single No Quiero Estar Sin Ti belongs to her debut album Naëla. On 2011, she released two new single of her album, Esta Noche Mando Yo and Muero Por Amarte.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Eliseo Payán
Dec. at 69 (1825-1895)José Eliseo Payán Hurtado (August 1, 1825 – June 30, 1895) was a Colombian lawyer, politician, and military officer. Payán as Vice President of Colombia assumed the Presidency of Colombia because of the absence of President Rafael Núñez in 1887.- Birthplace: Cali, Colombia
Carlos Holguín Mallarino
Dec. at 62 (1832-1894)Carlos Holguín Mallarino (11 June 1832 – 19 October 1894) was a Colombian lawyer, journalist, and politician, who became President of Colombia between 1888 and 1892, acting in the absence of President Rafael Núñez.- Birthplace: Nóvita, Colombia
- Carlos Moreno is a film director, television director, film editor and screenwriter.
- Birthplace: Cali, Colombia
- Eustorgio Salgar Moreno Salazar (1831–1885) was a lawyer, Colombian general and political figure, who was president of the United States of Colombia from 1870 until 1872. Elected at age 39, he was the youngest President of Colombia.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Edgardo José Maya Villazón
Age: 73Edgardo José Maya Villazón (born July 24, 1951 in Valledupar, Cesar) is a Colombian lawyer, and former Inspector General of Colombia.- Birthplace: Valledupar, Colombia
Catherine Siachoque
Age: 53María Alexandra "Catherine Siachoque" Gaete (born January 21, 1972) is a Colombian actress best known for her (mostly villainess) roles in numerous telenovelas.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
- Jaime Gilinski Bacal (born 14 December 1957) is a Colombian banker and real estate developer. Gilinski resides in London. According to Forbes, he is the second richest person in Colombia, with a net worth of US$3.9 billion as of May 2018.
- Birthplace: Cali, Colombia
Carlos Eduardo Medellín Becerra
Age: 62Carlos Eduardo Medellín Becerra (born 14 September 1962) is a Colombian lawyer and diplomat and has served as Minister of Justice of Colombia and as Ambassador of Colombia to the United Kingdom.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
- Alejandro Falla Ramírez (Spanish pronunciation: [aleˈxandɾo ˈfaʎa raˈmiɾes]; born 14 November 1983) is a retired professional male tennis player from Colombia. The left-hander turned pro in 2000 and achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 48 in July 2012. At the 2006 Wimbledon tournament, Falla upset 9th seed Nikolay Davydenko and at the 2007 Sony Ericsson Open he beat 9th seed Tommy Haas in straight sets. He reached the semifinals of the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon in 2007, beating players such as the 5th seed Ivan Ljubičić.
- Birthplace: Cali, Colombia
- Catalina Castaño Álvarez (American Spanish: [kataˈlina kasˈtaɲo ˈalβares]; born 7 July 1979) is a retired tennis player from Colombia. Her highest singles WTA ranking of 35 she achieved in 2006. In her career, she won ten titles on the ITF Women's Circuit, six in singles, as well as one doubles title on tournaments of the WTA 125K series. Castano has defeated top 20 players such as Nicole Vaidišová, Anna-Lena Grönefeld, Patty Schnyder, Paola Suárez, Li Na and Lucie Šafářová. She was coached by Peruvian-born British citizen Pablo Giacopelli since 2004.
- Birthplace: Pereira, Colombia
- Fabio Alonso Salgado, better known as Estéfano, born in Cali, Colombia is a musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. Along with Donato Poveda formed the duo Donato y Estefano, releasing three studio albums through 1995–1999. After the duo disbanded he went on to pursue a solo career with his album Código Personal: A Media Vida released in 2005. Estéfano has worked with Ricky Martin, Julio Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Shakira, Malú, Alexandre Pirés, Enrique Iglesias, Gloria Estefan, Jon Secada, Paulina Rubio, Anahí, Noelia, Chayanne, Jerry Rivera and Thalía, among others.
- Birthplace: Cali, Colombia
Emiliano Zuleta
Dec. at 93 (1912-2005)Emiliano Zuleta Baquero was a Colombian vallenato composer, accordion player and singer, popularly known as El viejo Mile (The Old Mile). Zuleta was born on January 11, 1912 in La Jagua del Pilar, a small town of la Guajira; He died on October 30, 2005 in Valledupar (Cesar) from respiratory problems at age 93.In 1938 he published his masterpiece La gota fría, a song that emerged from a musical controversy with Lorenzo Morales and that years later Carlos Vives and Julio Iglesias would interpret, turning the song into an international hit.- Birthplace: La Jagua del Pilar, Colombia
- Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
- Per-Olov Kindgren (born June 10, 1956 in Bogotá, Colombia) is a Swedish classical guitarist, composer and music teacher known for his classical guitar playing, ranging from Bach to The Beatles.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Fabian Hernando Puerta Zapata
Age: 33Fabian Hernando Puerta Zapata is an Olympic track cyclist representing Colombia.- Birthplace: Caldas, Antioquia, Colombia
José María Vargas Vila
Dec. at 72 (1860-1933)José María de la Concepción Apolinar Vargas Vila Bonilla (June 23, 1860 – May 23, 1933), commonly referred to as José María Vargas Vila, was a Colombian writer and public intellectual. Vargas Vila was an autodidact, who, from an early age, participated in political struggles as a journalist, political agitator, and orator. He was considered one of the most controversial writers in the Americas at the beginning of 20th century. Vargas Vila distinguished himself through his radically liberal ideas and his criticism the Catholic clergy, conservatism, and the imperialist policies of the United States. Many of his ideas approached those of existentialism and were claimed to be libertarian, although they were so close to anarchism that at one time even Vargas Vila declared himself an anarchist. He defended all causes and individuals who fought for their peoples' liberty and justice, especially in Latin America, without harping on whether they all shared his exact same philosophy, and knowing that they did not. Because of the publication of his novel Ibis in 1900, he was excommunicated by the Holy See and received this news with rejoicing.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
- Mariana Duque Mariño (Spanish pronunciation: [maˈɾjana ˈðuke maˈriɲo]; born 12 August 1989) is a Colombian tennis player. Her career-high singles ranking is world No. 66, achieved on 12 October 2015. Her career-high doubles ranking is No. 96, achieved on 11 June 2018. Duque debuted on the ITF junior tour in 2004. As a junior, she reached the final of the girls' singles tournament at the 2007 French Open. She defeated the tenth-seeded Ksenia Pervak in the first round, and ousted juniors' world No. 1 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semifinals. Duque lost in the final to Alizé Cornet in three sets. She had some setbacks during the tournament, due to losing her tennis rackets at the airport. Without money to buy replacements, she had to play with borrowed rackets. She won her first professional tournament in May 2006, in Mazatlán, Mexico. Her biggest win in senior competition is defeating Anna Chakvetadze, No. 26 seed, at the 2009 French Open, in three sets.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Bertilda Samper Acosta
Dec. at 54 (1856-1910)Sister María Ignacia, OSC, born Bertilda Samper Acosta (31 July 1856 – 31 July 1910) was a Colombian Poor Clare nun, poet and writer. She was the daughter of José María Samper Agudelo and Soledad Acosta Kemble, both renowned writers and journalists of their time in Colombia. Although most of her poetry has remained unpublished, she is known for her revision and expansion of the novena of aguinaldos, a popular devotional novena of Advent during the Christmas season in Colombia, also popular in Ecuador and Venezuela.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Patricia Cardoso
Patricia Cardoso is a Colombian director, writer, and producer. She has directed The Water Carrier, Real Women Have Curves, Lies in Plain Sight, The Air Globes, Meddling Mom, Ro, La Clave, and El Paseo de Teresa. Cardoso was the first Latina ever to win a Sundance Film Festival Dramatic Audience Award and to receive a Student Academy Award. She was invited to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in the Directors branch in 2017. In 2018 Ava DuVernay tapped her to helm an episode of her acclaimed series Queen Sugar.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Mauricio Pimiento
Age: 63Mauricio Pimiento Barrera (born March 17, 1961) is a Colombian politician, former Senator of Colombia.[1] Pimiento was arrested on February 16, 2007 after being involved in the Para-political scandal.[2] On May 16, 2008 Colombian justice condemned Pimiento to 7 years in prison for conspirating with a terrorist group and electoral fraud.- Birthplace: Bucaramanga, Colombia
Diego Gutiérrez
Age: 52Diego Gutiérrez (born November 3, 1972 in Bogotá, Colombia) is a retired Colombian American soccer player, who spent his career between Chicago Fire and Kansas City Wizards, both of Major League Soccer, and is currently a radio commentator for ESPN Deportes Kansas City.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Humberto De la Calle
Age: 78Humberto de la Calle Lombana (Spanish pronunciation: [umˈbeɾto ðe la ˈkaʝe lomˈbana]; born 14 July 1946 in Manzanares, Caldas) is a Colombian lawyer and politician. He served as Vice President of Colombia from 1994 to 1997. De La Calle served in the cabinet as Interior Minister under two Presidents, Andrés Pastrana and César Gaviria. He also served as Ambassador to Spain and the United Kingdom. After 2003, De La Calle worked at his own Law firm which specialises in advising and representing international clients in Colombia. In October 2012 he was appointed by President Juan Manuel Santos as the chief negotiator in the peace process with the FARC.- Birthplace: Manzanares, Caldas, Colombia
Juan Lozano Ramírez
Age: 60Juan Francisco Lozano Ramírez is a Colombian lawyer and journalist currently serving as Senator of Colombia and since 2010 has been the General Director of the Social Party of National Unity, Colombia's biggest political and most influential political coalition. Under the Administration of President Álvaro Uribe Vélez he served as the 3rd Minister of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development, High Presidential Advisor, and Presidential Advisor of Social Policy, and had also served as Presidential Advisor for the Youth, Women, and Family in the Administration of President César Gaviria Trujillo.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Andrea Escobar
Age: 34Andrea Escobar (born July 22, 1992) is a Colombian actress, television hostess, and model. Andrea is the oldest of two in her family, her brother one year younger is a chef, native of San Juan Bautista de Guacari. Andrea is a Colombian super model base in USA, she won the Elite Model Look Colombia 2003, being number 16 over 75 countries with more than 100 contestants on the finals of Elite model look held in Singapore, She returned to Colombia and signed a contract with Stock Models in Bogota, 1 year later is scouted by the agency Michelle Pommier (Miami) in Colombiamoda and moves to Miami, lather that year she change agency and joy Front Management her current agency. Her list of clients is long starting with an exclusive show of Roberto Cavalli birthday party as her first job in the US, she has work with mayor designers like Agata Ruiz De La Prada, Adolfo Dominguez, Custo Barcelona, Marck Jacobs, Bvlgary, Cartier, American Eagle, Rosa Cha, La Martina, MAC cosmetics, Diesel, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Avanti, South Pole, Gab, Tommy Hilfiger, Sauvage, Beats by Dr Dre, Gottex, Steve Madden, Federciks of Hollywood, YSL, Victoria's Secret just to name a few. Andrea has participated in music videos with artist like Luis Fonsi, Romeo Santos, Ludacris, Pharrel Williams, Lil Wayne, Wycleft, T.I, Timbaland, Pitbull, David Guetta. She also was the cover of Diners magazine in August 2004, as one of the strongest newcomers in that same year; the cover of Vitalika for the month of July in 2009, and one of the most famous magazines in her home Country made her a tribute "Revista Don Juan" having her as the cover of the month of August in 2013. She haves appear on the pages of Infashion (Colombia), Fuscia (Colombia), Caras (Colombia), Novias (Colombia), Revista TV & Novelas (Colombia), Miss & Bliss (Brazil), Eres (Mexico), & (Miami), Ocean drive (Miami), Dmag (Argentina), Venue magazine (Miami), Esquire Latin America (South and Central America), Esquire magazine (Colombia) among some other around the globe. Andrea is also active in helping others in 2004 was part of a huge campaign with the name of "Cartagena look 2004" to raise money getting help for those affected by the rain in Colombia. She collaborates with Amigos For Kids and Little Lighthouse Foundation. Winner of Colombia, Elite model look 2003, held in Colombia. TV host of fashion TV CaliExposhow 2004, Cali, valle del cauca, Colombia. TV host for Fashion TV Mercedez Benz fashion week 2005, Mexico. Winner of Colombia, Miss Beauty of the world Colombia pageant 2010, held in Colombia. Winner of Miss Beauty of South America, Miss Beauty of the World Pageant 2010, held in China. Voted one of the most beautiful women for People in espanol. She is one of the favorites models on the pages of HM magazine in Mexico. She won the award Modelo TV & Novelas, 2004 for being the best model of that year. She was the 'modelo revelacion' of the Caliexposhow in 2004. Her debut in acting was done in Colombia for Pasion de Gavilanes in 2003. She haves done a couple of episodes of Burn Notice, CSI Miami and CSI LA. Film in Miami between 2005 – 2008 Andrea landed a reoccurring role on the popular TV series novela Aurora (telenovela) from 2010 to 2011. She also did a small part on the movie 'Rock of Ages' next to Tom Cruise and Catherine Zeta-Jones in 2012. Later on landed a guest act in La Gata (telenovela) in 2014 She just ended filming Ballers an HBO series that airs on Jun 2015. She has studied acting for many years starting in her country with big names like Alfonso Ortiz, Vicky Hernandez, Sergio Cabrera and he's wife Florina Lemetre, ones in Miami she prepared with Sebastian Ligarde, Roberto Huicochea, Adela romero, she is currently moving to NYC in May (for the summer) to study acting at the New York film academy.- Birthplace: Guacarí, Colombia
- Mateo, es fruto de una búsqueda musical que desde sus inicios planteo combinar elementos del rock en su instrumentación(Guitarra, bajo, batería, )con melodías suaves y pegajosas que le dan ese toque pop , genero que cautivo a Mateo desde siempre y que ha estado fuertemente influenciado por las diva universal del pop , Shakira. En su trabajo actual, mezcla de la madurez y la experiencia adquirida se planta un sonido urbano y contemporáneo. Las canciones con una estructura simple pero cargadas de sentimiento y vivencias, todo apoyado en una melodía atrapante con coros que se repiten para imprimirle una conexión con su público. La instrumentación está en un plano de claro acompañamiento de la voz, Mateo es Pop-Rock tanto en su música, como en sus letras sin dejar atrás sus raíces y origen un cantautor que encontró en la música la mejor forma de explorar la rebeldía, alegría y amor por los suyos y la música muy en sintonía al sentir de millones de jóvenes adolescentes en el mundo.
- Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
Carlos Osorio
Age: 52Carlos Osorio is a film art director and production designer.- Birthplace: Garzón, Colombia
- Juan Fernando Fonseca, (born May 29, 1979), better known as Fonseca (for his surname) is a Colombian singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. Born and raised in Bogotá, he studied at the Colegio Los Nogales from kindergarten to 9th grade where he realized his dream of becoming a singer. He then moved to a new school called Gimnasio Campestre. After his time at Gimnasio Campestre, he enrolled in the Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA and while there he got a proposal to record his first single. He left school to focus on his musical career. He began recording some demos and performing in the rock music scene of Bogotá with a rock band "Baroja". In which he participated in Rock al Parque. He recorded his first three solo studio albums with EMI label, then he signed on with Sony Music. He debuted in 2002 with his first album, Fonseca, which was popular in his home country. His follow-up album Corazón (2005) included hits such as "Te Mando Flores" and Hace Tiempo. Fonseca's third album, Gratitud (2008) included the singles Enrédame and Arroyito. After breaking with the label EMI Capitol he decided release his fourth album Ilusión (2011) under the label Sony Music Latin with the hit Eres Mi Sueño. Influenced heavily by Carlos Vives, his style is a blend of vallenato and cumbia, two traditional and popular forms of Colombian music. His achievements include six Latin Grammy Awards and one Billboard Latin Music Awards.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Camilo Torres Tenorio
Dec. at 49 (1766-1816)Camilo Torres Tenorio (November 22, 1766 – October 5, 1816) was a Colombian politician. He is credited as being an early founder of the nation due to his role in early struggles for independence from Spain.- Birthplace: Popayán, Colombia
Sergio Fajardo
Age: 68Sergio Fajardo Valderrama (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈseɾ.xjo faˈxaɾðo βaldeˈrama]; born 19 June 1956) is a Colombian politician and mathematician. Fajardo served as the Governor of Antioquia from 2012-2016. He first entered politics in 2003 when he was elected Mayor of Medellin, the second-largest city in Colombia and the capital of Antioquia. Fajardo was the Vice Presidential nominee of Antanas Mockus in 2010, finishing in second place after losing the runoff against Juan Manuel Santos and Angelino Garzon. Fajardo brands himself as a pragmatic politician with no particular ideology, with political analysts and media outlets in Colombia labelling him as a centrist politician not tied to the traditional parties in Colombia.In July 2017, Sergio Fajardo announced his campaign to run for President in the upcoming elections in 2018.On 27 May 2018 he finished third on the Presidential election first round.- Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
Flor Ruiz
Age: 34Flor Denis Ruiz Hurtado is a Colombian javelin thrower. She competed in the javelin throw event at the 2012 Summer Olympics.- Birthplace: Pradera, Colombia
Alejandro R. Jadad Bechara
Age: 61Alejandro Jadad Bechara is a Colombian Canadian physician whose mission is to enable people to live healthy and happy lives, full of love, and with no regrets, until the last breath, through innovative global collaborative efforts enabled by information and communication technologies. Jadad's research and innovation work seeks to identify and connect people, knowledge and tools across traditional boundaries to eliminate unnecessary suffering, and to improve the capacity of humans to imagine, create and promote new and better approaches to living, healing, working and learning as part of a sustainable planet. Powered by social networks and other leading-edge telecommunication tools, his projects follow a radical 'glocal' innovation approach to anticipate and respond to major public health threats through strong and sustainable international collaboration, and to enable the public to shape the health system and society. Jadad is the Founder of the Centre for Global eHealth Innovation at the University of Toronto and University Health Network, where he is also professor, staff physician, and current holder of the Canada Research Chair in eHealth Innovation.- Birthplace: Colombia
Clara Rojas
Age: 60Clara Leticia Rojas González (born December 20, 1964) is a Colombian lawyer, university lecturer, and campaign manager for former senator and presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt. She was kidnapped along with Betancourt by the FARC guerrilla group near San Vicente del Caguán on February 23, 2002, while Betancourt was campaigning for the presidency. After the kidnapping, Rojas was named as Betancourt's vice-presidential candidate. In 2006, it was revealed that Rojas had given birth to a boy named Emmanuel while in captivity. The father was said to be a FARC guerrilla.Rojas had last been seen publicly in a video released by the guerrilla group in 2003. However, on January 10, 2008, Rojas and former congresswoman Consuelo González were freed after six years in captivity. Betancourt was rescued on July 2, 2008.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Joaquín Camacho
Dec. at 50 (1766-1816)José Joaquín Justo Camacho Lago (July 17, 1766 – August 31, 1816) was a Neogranadine statesman, lawyer, journalist and professor, who worked for the Independence of the New Granada, what is now Colombia, and participated in the Open Cabildo which declared the Act of Independence, of which he was also a signer. He was executed during the Reign of Terror of Pablo Morillo after the Spanish invasion of New Granada.- Birthplace: Tunja, Colombia
Manuel Rodríguez Torices
Dec. at 28 (1788-1816)Manuel Rodríguez Torices (full birth name Manuel Juan Robustiano de los Dolores Rodríguez Torices y Quiroz) (May 24, 1788 – October 5, 1816) was a Neogranadine statesman, lawyer, journalist, and Precursor of the Independence of Colombia. He was part of the Triumvirate of the United Provinces of New Granada in 1815, and served as Vice President of the United Provinces after the triumvirate. He was executed during the Reign of Terror of Pablo Morillo in 1816.- Birthplace: Cartagena, Colombia
- Silvestre Francisco Dangond Corrales is a Colombian singer. He was born on May 12, 1980, in the town of Urumita. He attributes his talents to his father, the singer William José “El Palomo” Dangond Baquero, who during the mid-1970s recorded 10 singles with Andrés “El Turco” Gil; and his mother, who comes from a musical family and passed down her charismatic nature to him, while also playing a major role in his formal and personal education.
- Birthplace: Urumita, Colombia
- Martina García is an actress.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Johan Wilhelm van Lansberge
Dec. at 73 (1830-1903)Johan Wilhelm van Lansberge (Bogota, Colombia, 16 November 1830 – Mentone, 17 December 1903) was a Dutch politician and the 55th Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (1875–1881).- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
José Manuel Restrepo Vélez
Dec. at 81 (1781-1863)José Manuel Restrepo Vélez (30 December 1781 – 1 April 1863) was an investigator of Colombian flora, political figure and historian. The Orchid genus Restrepia was named in his honor. Restrepo was born in the town of Envigado, Antioquia in the Colombian Mid-west. He graduated as a lawyer from the Colegio de San Bartolomé in the city of Santa Fe de Bogotá. He later worked as Secretary for Juan del Corral and Governor Dionisio Tejada during their dictatorial government over Antioquia. From 1811 to 1814 became a Deputy Representative of Antioquia during the Congress of the United Provinces of New Granada. After the Independence from Spain was achieved by Simon Bolivar, Restrepo became governor of Antioquia in 1819 during the Greater Colombia. Restrepo was profoundly interested on geography and fauna of Antioquia and an orchid flower was named in his honor, the Restrepia.- Birthplace: Envigado, Colombia
- Carla Evelyn Giraldo Quintero (born on 30 August 1986 in Medellín, Colombia) is a Colombian actress, model and singer. She made her debut in television when she was 13 in telenovela Me Llaman Lolita where she portrays young Lolita Rengifo.
- Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
María Eugenia Rojas Correa
Age: 92María Eugenia Rojas Correa (born 6 October 1932) is a retired Colombian political figure. The daughter of the 19th President of Colombia, Gustavo Rojas Pinilla. In 1974 she became the first woman to run for president in all of Latin America, managing to get third place in representation of the National Popular Alliance, the party that she and her father helped create. She also served as Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia from 1962 to 1964, and as Member of the Senate of Colombia from 1966 to 1974. During his father's government she fought for women's rights by getting the recognition of all their rights and helped create female police. She is married to Samuel Moreno Díaz and has two sons, Samuel Moreno Rojas and Néstor Iván Moreno Rojas, who have both been involved in politics and were persecuted because they had the possibility of reaching the presidency. Despite having more than 100 proofs in their favor, they were proceses during the former's time as Mayor of Bogota. Their case was appealed to the Inter-American Human Rights Commission in Washington.- Birthplace: Vélez, Santander, Colombia
Gabriel Betancourt
Dec. at 83 (1918-2002)Gabriel Betancourt Mejía (born April 27, 1918 in Medellín – died March 23, 2002 in Bogotá) was a Colombian economist and diplomat who served as Colombia's Minister of National Education in two occasions, and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO.- Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
Rudolf Hommes Rodríguez
Age: 81Rudolf Hommes Rodríguez (born 6 December 1943) is a Colombian economist and politician, who served as Minister of Finance and Public Credit under the administration of President César Gaviria, introducing various liberal policies in Colombia's Economy. He is also a regular columnist on various Colombian media outlets, focusing mostly in finances. Hommes attended California State University, Sacramento, where he received a BBA, a BSc, and a MBA; he also received a PhD in Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and has been a professor of finance, statistics, economics, and decision theory at the University of the Andes.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Natalie Arango
Age: 51Natalie Arango is a film costume designer.- Birthplace: Colombia
Jorge Herrera
Age: 77Jorge Herrera is a film actor.- Birthplace: Cali, Colombia
Elmira Antommarchi
Elmira Antommarchi (born in Cúcuta, Colombia) was a Colombian poet who published numerous poems. All her poems appear in various anthologies. Elmira's sisters, Hortensia Antommarchi and Dorila Antommarchi, were also published poets. Elmira died in Cúcuta, Colombia.- Birthplace: Cúcuta, Colombia
Kevin Rios Quintana
Age: 32Kevin Daniel Rios Quintana is a Colombian amateur track cyclist. He represented his nation Colombia, as a member of the men's national pursuit team, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and also, claimed the men's junior trophy in road cycling at the 2011 Vuelta del Porvenir de Colombia. Rios qualified for the Colombian squad in the men's team pursuit at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London based on the nation's selection process from the UCI Track World Rankings. He and his teammates Edwin Avila, Arles Castro, and Weimar Roldán recorded an eighth-place time of 4:04.772 in the classification final match, losing only to the Dutch squad by more than two tenths of a second.- Birthplace: Rionegro, Colombia
Daniel Reyes
Age: 52Daniel Antonio Reyes Torres (born May 5, 1972 in Cartagena de Chairá, Bolívar) is a professional boxer from Colombia.- Birthplace: Cartagena del Chairá, Colombia
Germán Zea Hernández
Dec. at 83 (1905-1989)Germán Zea Hernández (15 April 1905 — 8 February 1989) was a Colombian lawyer and politician. A Liberal Party politician, he served twice as Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations, and occupied the Ministries of Government, Justice, and Foreign Affairs, was appointed 11th Comptroller General of Colombia, Mayor of Bogotá, and Governor of Cundinamarca, and served in both Chambers of Congress as Senator and Representative.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
- Ana Isabel Velasquez is an actress who appeared in "[REC]3 Genesis," "REC 2," and "REC."
- Birthplace: Medellin, Colombia
Andrés Jiménez
Age: 38Andrés Jiménez is a Colombian athlete.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Luis Carlos Restrepo Ramírez
Age: 71Luis Carlos Restrepo Ramírez (born 24 January 1954) is a Colombian psychiatrist and philosopher, who served as the 5th High Commissioner for Peace of Colombia from August 2002 to March 2009. While in Office, he was in charge of the controversial demobilization and disarmament of 32,000 paramilitaries of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia and 13,000 guerrilla fighters.For some time, the Government of Colombia considered him a fugitive, after the Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia issued an international arrest warrant after Restrepo left the country on 8 January 2012 on a flight bound to the United States; his current whereabouts remain unknown, but he is presumed to have obtained political asylum in Canada. Restrepo, who was accused of faking the demobilization of a FARC military unit in 2006, is charged by the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia with conspiracy to commit crime; embezzlement; and arms possession, trafficking, and manufacturing. Restrepo, who was one of the closest allies of the President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, has denied the allegations made against him, and accused the Administration of President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón of mounting a political persecution against him; in this he receives the backing and support of former President Uribe. However, on September 23, 2013, Colombia's Prosecutor General dropped the arrest warrant against Restrepo.From his exile, Restrepo has shown support for the current Peace talks of President Juan Manuel Santos with FARC rebels.- Birthplace: Filandia, Quindío, Colombia
Samael Aun Weor
Dec. at 60 (1917-1977)Samael Aun Weor (Hebrew: סםאל און ואור) (March 6, 1917 – December 24, 1977), born Víctor Manuel Gómez Rodríguez, was a spiritual teacher and author of over sixty books of esoteric spirituality. He taught and formed groups under the banner of 'Universal Gnosticism', or simply gnosis. Samael Aun Weor referred to his teachings as 'The Doctrine of Synthesis', which not only emphasizes the existence of the perennial philosophy, but that its highest teleological function is the accomplishment of 'Christification' and 'Final Liberation.'- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
- Alfonso Teofilo Brown (July 5, 1902 – April 11, 1951), better known as Panama Al Brown, was a Panamanian professional boxer. He made history by becoming boxing's first Hispanic world champion, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest bantamweight boxers in history.Brown won the NYSAC bantamweight title in 1929 after defeating Gregorio Vidal. In 1930 he won both the NBA and IBU bantamweight titles, after defeating Johnny Erickson and Eugène Huat. After relocating to Paris, France, Brown became known for his flamboyant lifestyle and interest in the arts, performing as a cabaret man. He faced racial barriers throughout his career, and had been stripped of the NYSAC and NBA titles by 1934. He held the IBU title until 1935, when he lost it to Baltasar Sangchili. In 1938, Brown fought for the IBU bantamweight title again in a rematch with Sangchili, winning on points. He continued to box until 1942, but failed to achieve the same level of success he had previously enjoyed. In 2002, Brown was named one of the 80 best fighters of the past 80 years by The Ring magazine. He currently ranks #5 in BoxRec's ranking of the greatest bantamweight boxers in history. He has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
- Birthplace: Colombia
Simón Gaviria Muñoz
Age: 44Simón Gaviria Muñoz is a Colombian economist and politician currently serving as Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia since 2006. The son of the 28th President of Colombia, César Gaviria Trujillo, he is also the current National Director of the Colombian Liberal Party since 11 December 2011. He was elected to the Chamber in 2006 in representation of the Bogotá circumscription as the second-in-line in the electoral list headed by David Luna Sánchez of the For the Country of our Dreams movement that received 103,795 in the 2006 legislative elections. In a 2007 survey of RCN TV, he was chosen as "Surprise Representative" for his rapid ascent in high politics and legislative actions, and in 2008 was chosen as "Best Chamber Representative" in another poll by RCN TV and Caracol Radio. In the 2010 legislative elections, this time as a Liberal party candidate and head of the electoral list, he was re-elected with a total of 72,896, the largest margin of votes for any one Representative to the Chamber in 2010, and elected unanimously President of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia for the legislative period 2011-2012 by the Liberal caucus in the chamber.- Birthplace: Pereira, Colombia
Knox Martin
Age: 101Knox Martin (born February 12, 1923) is an American painter, sculptor and muralist. Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, he studied at the Art Students League of New York from 1946 till 1950. He is one of the leading members of the New York School of artists and writers. He lives and works in New York City.- Birthplace: Barranquilla, Colombia
Jorge Oñate
Age: 75Jorge Oñate (born March 31, 1949), in the town of Los Robles La Paz, near the city of Valledupar in northern Colombia, is one of the most renowned singers and composers of the vallenato musical genre. As of 2004 and since the beginning of his career in 1968 he has achieved 25 gold discs, 7 platinum discs and 6 double platinum for his sales, among other numerous musical accomplishments. He has also successfully entered politics as councilor of his hometown, while deputising for Alfredo Cuello Dávila, representing the department of Cesar.- Birthplace: Los Robles La Paz, Colombia
Bréiner Castillo
Age: 46Bréiner Clemente Castillo Caicedo (born May 5, 1978) is a Colombian goalkeeper currently playing for Boyacá Chicó. He has played for Deportivo Cali and Deportes Tolima. He was also a member of the Senior Colombia squad during the Copa America 2004. He has been called to national team in 2010.- Birthplace: Barbacoas Municipality, Colombia
Edmar Castañeda
Age: 46Edmar Castañeda is a Colombian harpist. He performs his own compositions as well as tapping into native Music of Colombia, Music of Venezuela; Joropo and Music of Argentina, Zamba. He tours regularly as the leader of the Edmar Castañeda Trio, together with David Silliman on drums/percussion and Marshall Gilkes on trombone. He is also a band member for the Andrea Tierra Quartet whose members are Andrea Tierra on vocals, Sam Sadigursky on flute/clarinet/saxophone, and David Silliman. Castañeda is the son of Colombian harp player, composer, singer, teacher Pavelid Castañeda. He has performed with Paquito D'Rivera, Wynton Marsalis, John Scofield, Joe Locke, JLCO, John Patitucci, Giovanni Hidalgo, Lila Downs, Janis Siegel, Chico O'Farrill Afro-Cuban jazz big band, The United Nations Orchestra, Simón Diaz, Samuel Torres among other renowned musicians. In 2006 he released his first solo album Cuarto de Colores. Entre Cuerdas followed in June 2009. His latest album Double Portion was released in March 2012.- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
- Ivonne Guzmán (born September 10, 1984, in Bogotá, Colombia) is a Colombian singer-songwriter and actress. She is best known for being a member of Argentine all-female band Bandana. She also acted Inés in Argentine version of theatre musical Hairspray.
- Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Paola Rey
Age: 45Paola Andrea Rey Arciniegas (born December 19, 1979, in Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia) is a Colombian actress and model. She has worked in a number of Colombian telenovelas, including La Baby Sister, Pasión de Gavilanes, and La mujer en el espejo.She has appeared in several films, including Como el gato y el raton, which won awards in several international competitions, and The Private Archives of Pablo Escobar.She also works as a model, appearing on the cover of the Fall, 2005 edition "Fuego", and has been the face of Neutrogena.- Birthplace: San Gil, Colombia
