Virgilio Barco
Virgilio Barco Vargas (born September 17, 1921 in Cúcuta , Norte de Santander , † May 20, 1997 in Bogotá ) was a Colombian politician. From 1986 to 1990 he was president.
Life
Virgilio Barco Vargas was born in Cucutá / Norte de Santander as the son of wealthy parents (Jorge Enrique Barco and Julieta Vargas) and grandson of two important generals (Virgilio Barco Martinez - pioneer of the oil industry in Colombia). He studied economics at the Universidad Nacional in Bogotá, where he graduated in 1943, and then at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He was then Minister for Post, Public Services, Agriculture and Finance. From 1966 to 1969 he was Mayor of Bogotá , Ambassador to London and the United States (1977) and Director of the World Bank .
In the presidential elections on May 25, 1986 , he won an absolute majority as a candidate for the Liberal Party of Colombia in the second ballot. On August 7, 1986, he took over the official duties of his predecessor Belisario Betancur Cuartas .
As president, he was unable to fulfill the priorities he mentioned for the internal pacification of the country, which has been plagued by guerrillas for decades, overcoming poverty, high unemployment and the fight against drug cartels. His term of office ended in 1990. He then became ambassador to the United Kingdom again and returned to Colombia after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's and stomach cancer, where he died on May 20, 1997.
Virgilio Barco Vargas was married to the North American Carolina Isakson Proctor since 1950. From this marriage the daughters Carolina, Julia and Diana Barco Isakson and a son Virgilio Barco Isakson were born. His oldest daughter Dr. Carolina Barco was Colombia's foreign minister under the Álvaro Uribe government .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bio of Virgilio Barco Vargas colombia.com, accessed on April 3, 2020 (es)
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Belisario Betancur |
President of Colombia 1986–1990 |
César Gaviria |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Barco, Virgilio |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Barco Vargas, Virgilio |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Colombian politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 17, 1921 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cucutá , Norte de Santander |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 20, 1997 |
| Place of death | Bogotá |