73 Notable alumni of National University of Colombia
Updated: May 13, 2026 EliteDegrees
National University of Colombia is ranked #479 in the world and #1 in Colombia by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 73 notable alumni from National University of Colombia sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with National University of Colombia won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Liliana Angulo Cortés
1974-. (aged 52)
researcher
sculptor
university teacher
curator
Astrid Liliana Angulo Cortés was a Colombian visual artist with a degree in sculpture from the National University of Colombia, an MFA from the University of Illinois (Chicago) and a Master’s in Anthropology from the University of Los Andes (Colombia). Through her artistic practice, she uses the lens of gender, race and identity to explore representations of the black woman...
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2. Rodrigo Bernal
1959-. (aged 67)
biologist
botanist
Rodrigo Bernal González is a Colombian botanist who specialises in the palm family. Bernal was a faculty member at the Institute of Natural Sciences, National University of Colombia until 2007. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Aarhus, Denmark, in 1996. He was general curator of the National Colombian Herbarium (1986-1987), and editor of the scientific journal Caldasia (1989-1991,...
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3. Enrique Forero
1942-2023 (aged 81)
naturalist
botanist
university teacher
Enrique Forero González was a Colombian botanist. He died on 5 September 2023, at the age of 80.
4. Nelly Garzón Alarcón
1932-2019 (aged 87)
university teacher
nurse
Nelly Garzón Alarcón was a Colombian nurse and teacher, recognized as the first Latin American nurse to be president of the International Council of Nurses (ICN). In her day, she was one of the Colombian women who had the greatest relevance in science at the international level.
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5. Miguel Moyano
1962-. (aged 64)
painter
Miguel Moyano is a Colombian artist born in Bogotá, he studied at the National University of Colombia, specializing in three-dimensional drawing at the Schule für Gestaltung Bern, he took anatomy drawing classes with the Russian master Udo Siig, engraving classes with master Luis Paz and painting classes with the Vatican miniaturist, Marisa Schmitt-Viassone.
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6. Germán Cardona
1956-. (aged 70)
civil engineer
engineer
politician
Germán Cardona Gutiérrez is a Colombian politician who served as the ninth Minister of Transport of Colombia in the Administration of President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón from 2010 to 2012. A civil engineer and businessman, he was twice elected Mayor of Manizales, once appointed Governor of the Department of Caldas and served as chairman of the Once Caldas in 2005.
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7. Darío Botero Uribe
1938-2010 (aged 72)
philosopher
Darío Botero Uribe was a Colombian writer, thinker, professor emeritus and teacher at the National University of Colombia; he received a Doctorate degree from the National University with the title of Master. He studied law, political science and philosophy at the same university, where he held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Law, Political and Social Sciences (1986-1988)....
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8. Guillermo Bermúdez
1924-1995 (aged 71)
architect
Guillermo Bermúdez Umaña was a Colombian architect and professor of the National University of Colombia. His works are mainly private homes and public buildings, mostly in Bogota.
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9. Alfonso Dávila Ortiz
1922-2015 (aged 93)
civil engineer
engineer
politician
Alfonso Dávila Ortiz was a Colombian civil engineer, diplomat, businessman and forester, former ambassador to Spain and Kuwait, Chargé d'Affaires in the United States of America, Governor of the Province of Cundinamarca, President of the Colombian Banker’s Association, twice President of the Colombian Association of Engineers, Councilor of the city of Bogotá, lifelong President of Bogotá’s Jockey Club and member...
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10. Helena Araújo
1934-2015 (aged 81)
hispanist
literary critic
writer
university teacher
novelist
Helena Araújo Ortiz was a writer and an international professor of Latin American literature and women's studies. Her works of literary criticism have appeared in various Latin American and European literary journals.
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11. Andrés Uriel Gallego
1950-2014 (aged 64)
engineer
civil engineer
university teacher
politician
Andrés Uriel Gallego Henao was a Colombian civil engineer and politician. He served as the 8th Minister of Transport from 2002 to 2010 during the administration of President Álvaro Uribe.
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12. Jhenifer Mojica
lawyer
human rights
university teacher
politician
Jhenifer María Sindei Mojica Flórez is a Colombian lawyer, human rights defender, and politician who has served as Ambassador of Colombia to the FAO since 2025. Mojica served as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, director of Ethnic Affairs for the Land Restitution Unit and deputy director of the Colombian Commission of Jurists.
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13. Lisandro Duque Naranjo
1943-. (aged 83)
film director
screenwriter
Lisandro Duque Naranjo is a Colombian film director and screenwriter. He has directed ten films since 1974. His 1983 film The Bicycle Racer was entered into the 13th Moscow International Film Festival. His 2001 film, The Invisible Children, was selected as the Colombian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 75th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.
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14. Julio Abril
1911-1973 (aged 62)
painter
sculptor
Julio Vicente Agapito Abril Mayorga was a Colombian sculptor, painter, and draughtsman.
15. Carlos Rodado Noriega
1943-. (aged 83)
politician
diplomat
engineer
economist
civil engineer
Carlos Enrique Rodado Noriega is a Colombian engineer and politician currently serving as Ambassador of Colombia to Argentina. He served as the 28th and 9th Minister of Mines and Energy of Colombia, first in the administration of President Julio César Turbay Ayala and again in the administration of President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón. Rodado, a civil engineer and economist, has...
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16. Tatiana Toro
1964-. (aged 62)
mathematician
university teacher
Tatiana Toro is a Colombian-American mathematician at the University of Washington. Her research is "at the interface of geometric measure theory, harmonic analysis and partial differential equations". Toro was appointed director of the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute for 2022–2027.
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17. Jaime Jaramillo Arango
1897-1962 (aged 65)
writer
diplomat
physician
politician
Jaime Jaramillo Arango was a Colombian professor of medicine and surgery, author, diplomat, and politician. He was dean of medicine of the National University of Colombia and Director of the same institution, pioneer of modern medicine, Minister Plenipotentiary in the Colombian foreign policy during the Second World War, Minister of education, and founder of the Anglo Colombian School.
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18. José de Obaldía
1806-1889 (aged 83)
lawyer
politician
José Arsenio Vicente del Carmen de Obaldía y Orejuela was the 7th Vice President of New Granada, and as such served as Acting President in two occasions.
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19. Dolly Montoya Castaño
1948-. (aged 78)
university teacher
researcher
academic administration
Dolly Montoya Castaño, is a Colombian university professor and scientist, and former rector of the National University of Colombia. She was re-elected for the period 2021–2024, having already served in 2018–2021 when she became the first woman to hold the position.
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20. Carlos Jacanamijoy
1964-. (aged 62)
painter
Carlos Jacanamijoy is a Colombian painter of native South American origin of the Inga people. His artwork has been exhibited in more than 25 individual shows and is part of the permanent collection of the National Museum of the American Indian as well as several Colombian museums. He lives and works in Bogotá.
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21. Ochy Curiel
1963-. (aged 63)
writer
academic
women's rights activist
musician
Rosa Inés Curiel Pichardo, better known as Ochy Curiel, is an Afro-Dominican feminist academic, singer and social anthropologist. She is known for helping to establish the Afro-Caribbean women's movement and maintaining that lesbianism is neither an identity, orientation nor sexual preference, but rather a political position. She is one of the most prominent feminist scholars in Latin America and the...
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22. Andrés de Santa Maria
1860-1945 (aged 85)
painter
sculptor
university teacher
plastic artist
Andrés de Santa María was the most internationally known Colombian painter of his time and the pioneer of impressionism in Colombia. His work in solitary as a vanguardist painter frames the beginnings of modern art in Colombia. Santa Maria's search for new artistic expressions generated rejection and controversies around his work. He lived a great part of his life in...
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23. Rafael Humberto Moreno-Durán
1945-2005 (aged 60)
novelist
playwright
writer
Rafael Humberto Moreno Durán, also known by his acronym R.H. Moreno Durán was a novelist, essayist and playwright considered one of the most remarkable Colombian writers of the 20th century. His work includes the trilogy Femina Suite (comprising Juego de Damas, El toque de Diana and Finale Capriccioso con Madonna), and the play Cuestión de Habitos, for which he received...
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24. Jaime Caycedo
1944-. (aged 82)
anthropologist
politician
Jaime Caycedo Turriago is an anthropologist and Colombian politician. He was the General Secretary of the Colombian Communist Party (PCC) from 1994 until December 2022, when he assumed the newly created position of the party's President.
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25. Armando Villegas
1926-2013 (aged 87)
painter
Armando Villegas was a Peruvian-born Colombian painter whose career spanned nearly six decades. He produced more than 15,000 works, notably the "guerreros" (warriors) series and his role in establishing Colombian contemporary art institutions.
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26. Patricia Ariza
1946-. (aged 80)
playwright
theatrical director
Patricia Elia Ariza Flórez is a Colombian poet, playwright, actor and former Minister of Culture of the Government of Petro.
27. Gabriel Turbay
1901-1947 (aged 46)
diplomat
physician
politician
Gabriel Turbay Abinader was a Colombian politician of Lebanese descent. He was a Congressman, Senator, and Foreign Minister in the 1930s. He served as Colombia's Ambassador to the United States from 1939 to 1945. He was an unsuccessful candidate for president in 1946.
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28. José Antonio Ocampo
1952-. (aged 74)
economist
politician
sociologist
José Antonio Ocampo Gaviria is a Colombian writer, economist and academic who was the professor of professional practice in international and public affairs and director of the Economic and Political Development Concentration at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University from July 2007 to August 2022. Prior to his appointment, Ocampo served in a number of positions...
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29. Jorge Velosa
1949-. (aged 77)
veterinarian
musician
singer-songwriter
Jorge Luis Velosa Ruiz is a Colombian singer-songwriter, professor, actor, and writer, recognized as one of the leading exponents and initiators of carranguera music.
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30. Jaime Pardo Leal
1941-1987 (aged 46)
lawyer
politician
trade unionist
Jaime Pardo Leal was a Colombian lawyer, union leader, and politician who ran as candidate of the Patriotic Union party for the presidency of Colombia in the 1986 elections and was later assassinated.
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31. Candelario
1849-1884 (aged 35)
translator
writer
Candelario Obeso was a Colombian poet. He is known as a precursor of the Poesía Negra y oscura (black and dark poetry) in Colombia.
32. Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar
1922-2004 (aged 82)
sculptor
painter
draftsperson
Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar was a Colombian painter and sculptor. He is considered a pioneer of abstract, minimalist, and Constructivist art in Colombia, and in Latin America more broadly.
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33. Sebastián Silva
1993-. (aged 33)
singer
actor
YouTuber
Juan Sebastián Silva Martínez, commonly known as Sebastián Silva, is a Colombian internet personality, vlogger, actor, presenter and singer. He is best known for playing the roles of Pite in The Queen of Flow, and Rubén in Club 57 (2019). He studied cinema and television at the National University of Colombia.
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34. Cristina Gallego
1978-. (aged 48)
film producer
film director
Cristina Gallego is a Colombian producer, writer and director.
35. Roberto Urdaneta Arbeláez
1890-1972 (aged 82)
diplomat
lawyer
politician
Roberto Urdaneta Arbeláez was a Colombian Conservative party politician and lawyer who served as Acting President of Colombia from November 1951 until June 1953, while President Laureano Gómez was absent due to health issues.
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36. Aída Abella
1949-. (aged 77)
politician
Aída Yolanda Avella Esquivel, or Aída Yolanda Abella Esquivel, is a Colombian pedagogue, psychologist, and politician belonging to the Patriotic Union party. She was a member of the Constituent Assembly of Colombia and a councilor of the city of Bogotá between 1992 and 1996. Avella was a candidate for Vice President in the 2014 presidential election for the Alternative Democratic...
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37. Germán Arciniegas
1900-1999 (aged 99)
poet lawyer
writer
politician
historian
journalist
Germán Arciniegas Angueyra was a Colombian historian, writer and journalist who was known for his advocacy of educational and cultural issues, as well as his outspoken opposition to dictatorship. He also served as a college professor and held positions in the government, including Minister of Education and several ambassadorships.
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38. Marta Traba
1930-1983 (aged 53)
literary critic
university teacher
art critic
writer
novelist
Marta Traba Taín was an art critic and writer known for her contributions to Latin American art and literature.
39. Eliana Rubashkyn
1988-. (aged 38)
LGBTQ rights activist
chemist
pharmacist
Eliana Rubashkyn is a Colombian-born New Zealand pharmacist, chemist, and human rights advocate, known for her work at the intersection of science, public health, and international law. She became the first intersex and transgender person assigned male at birth to be legally recognised as a woman under a mechanism of the United Nations refugee protection system, without undergoing gender-affirming surgery....
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40. Eustorgio Salgar
1831-1885 (aged 54)
diplomat
politician
Eustorgio Salgar Moreno Salazar was a Colombian lawyer, 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.
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41. Álvaro Fayad
1946-1986 (aged 40)
politician
Álvaro Fayad Delgado a.k.a. "The Turk" was a Colombian guerrilla who co-founded and lead the 19th of April movement (M-19), founded in 1970.
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42. Virgilio Barco Vargas
1921-1997 (aged 76)
engineer
diplomat
civil engineer
politician
Virgilio Barco Vargas was a Colombian politician and civil engineer who served as the 28th President of Colombia serving from 7 August 1986 to 7 August 1990.
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43. Manuel Elkin Patarroyo Murillo
1946-2025 (aged 79)
immunologist
researcher
pathologist
Manuel Elkin Patarroyo Murillo was a Colombian immunologist, pathologist and academic who was Professor of Pathology and Immunology. He was behind the world's first attempt to create a synthetic vaccine against the protozoal parasite Plasmodium falciparum, the cause of severe malaria, and which is responsible for the death of ~1.5 million people per year in tropical and subtropical regions, including...
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44. Rodolfo Hernández Suárez
1945-2024 (aged 79)
businessperson
civil engineer
university teacher
politician
Rodolfo Hernández Suárez was a Colombian politician, civil engineer, and businessman who served as a senator of Colombia from July to October 2022. He was mayor of Bucaramanga from 2016 until his resignation in 2019. As the nominee for the League of Anti-Corruption Governors (LIGA) coalition, Hernández placed second in the first round of the 2022 Colombian presidential election, and...
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45. Antanas Mockus
1952-. (aged 74)
university teacher
politician
philosopher
journalist
mathematician
Aurelijus Rūtenis Antanas Mockus Šivickas is a Colombian mathematician, philosopher, and politician. He has a master's degree in philosophy from the National University of Colombia, and a Honoris Causa PhD from the University of Paris.
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46. Laureano Gómez
1889-1965 (aged 76)
politician
diplomat
journalist
engineer
civil engineer
Laureano Eleuterio Gómez Castro was a Colombian politician and civil engineer who served as the 19th President of Colombia from 1950 to 1953. In November 1951 poor health led him to cede presidential power to Roberto Urdaneta Arbeláez. On 13 June 1953, when he tried to resume his presidency, he was overthrown in a military coup led by Gustavo Rojas...
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47. José Eustacio Rivera
1888-1928 (aged 40)
diplomat
lawyer
writer
José Eustasio Rivera Salas was a Colombian lawyer and author primarily known for his national epic The Vortex.
48. Ciro Guerra
1981-. (aged 45)
film director
screenwriter
Ciro Guerra is a Colombian film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his 2015 film Embrace of the Serpent, which was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards, and for The Wind Journeys, selected as the Colombian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Academy Awards.
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49. Totó la Momposina
1948-. (aged 78)
composer
singer
Sonia Bazanta Vides, better known as Totó la Momposina, is a Colombian singer of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous descent. She reached international attention with the release of her 1993 album La Candela Viva on Peter Gabriel's Real World Records label. Totó accompanied Gabriel García Márquez to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982 as part of a Colombian cultural delegation...
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50. Luis Carlos Sarmiento
1933-. (aged 93)
engineer
entrepreneur
civil engineer
association football player
Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo is a Colombian billionaire businessman and banker. His fortune derives primarily from the banking conglomerate Grupo Aval, of which he is the majority shareholder and chairman. For many years, he has been the wealthiest person in Colombia, according to Forbes and Bloomberg. As of December 2025, Forbes estimated his net worth at US$9.8 billion.
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51. Margalida Castro
1943-2024 (aged 81)
actor
Margalida Castro Rueda was a Colombian theatre and television actress.
52. Alejandro Obregón
1920-1992 (aged 72)
painter
sculptor
muralist
printmaker
Alejandro Jesús Obregón Rosės was a Colombian painter, muralist, sculptor and engraver.
53. Manuel Zapata Olivella
1920-2004 (aged 84)
prose writer
writer
journalist
anthropologist
physician
Manuel Zapata Olivella was a Colombian physician, anthropologist and writer.
54. Gabriel García Márquez
1927-2014 (aged 87)
journalist
novelist
television actor
publisher
television writer
Gabriel José García Márquez was a Colombian writer and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo ([ˈɡaβo]) or Gabito ([ɡaˈβito]) throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century, particularly in the Spanish language, he was awarded the 1972 Neustadt International Prize for Literature and the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature. He pursued a self-directed education that...
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55. Fernando Botero
1932-2023 (aged 91)
architectural draftsperson
painter
illustrator
sculptor
draftsperson
Fernando Botero Angulo was a Colombian figurative artist and sculptor. His signature style, also known as "Boterismo", depicts people and figures in large, exaggerated volume, which can represent political criticism or humor, depending on the piece. He was considered the most recognized and quoted artist from Latin America in his lifetime, and his art can be found in highly visible...
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56. Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Ayala
1902-1948 (aged 46)
jurist
lawyer
university teacher
politician
Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Ayala Spanish pronunciation: ['xoɾxe eʎ'eθeɾ gai'tan aʝala] was a Colombian politician and statesman who was the leader of the Liberal Party. A nationalist, he served as the mayor of Bogotá from 1936–37, the national Education Minister from 1940–41, and the Labor Minister from 1943–44.
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57. Jaime Garzon Forero
1960-1999 (aged 39)
peace activist
dissident
journalist
Jaime Hernando Garzón Forero was a Colombian comedian, journalist, politician, and peace activist. He was popular on Colombian television during the 1990s for his unique political satire. In addition to his work on television, he also had roles as a peace negotiator during the Colombian conflict, working for the release of FARC guerrillas' hostages.
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58. Sofía Vergara
1972-. (aged 54)
television actor
television presenter
actor
television producer
model
Sofía Margarita Vergara Vergara is a Colombian and American actress and television personality who has received five nominations each at the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in the United States.
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59. Ana María Groot
1952-. (aged 74)
historian
anthropologist
archaeologist
Ana María Groot de Mahecha is a Colombian historian, archaeologist, anthropologist and associate professor at the Department of Anthropology of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Ana Mariá Groot speaks Spanish, English and French.
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60. Beatriz González
1932-2026 (aged 94)
painter
curator
art critic
art historian
sculptor
Beatriz González was a Colombian painter, sculptor, critic, curator, and art historian. González was often associated with the pop art movement. She was best known for her bright and colorful paintings depicting life in Colombia during the war-torn period known as La Violencia.
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61. Teresita Gómez
1943-. (aged 83)
pianist
María Teresa Gómez Arteaga, also known as Teresa Gómez and Teresita Gómez, is a Colombian pianist and music educator.
62. Luis Carlos Restrepo Ramírez
1954-. (aged 72)
psychiatrist
philosopher
Luis Carlos Restrepo Ramírez is a Colombian psychiatrist and philosopher, who served as the 5th High Commissioner for Peace of Colombia from August 2002 to March 2009.
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63. Carlos Pizarro Leongómez
1952-1990 (aged 38)
politician
partisan
Carlos Pizarro Leongómez was a Colombian guerrilla leader who headed the 19th of April Movement (M-19). Pizarro accepted the demobilization of M-19 that transformed the insurgents into a political party, the M-19 Democratic Alliance (Alianza Democrática M-19) (AD/M-19), but was assassinated on 26 April 1990 while running for president of Colombia.
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64. Fernando Vallejo
1942-. (aged 84)
novelist
film director
biologist
writer
screenwriter
Fernando Vallejo Rendón is a Colombian-born novelist, filmmaker and essayist. He obtained Mexican citizenship in 2007.
65. Vera Grabe
1951-. (aged 75)
anthropologist
politician
Vera Grabe Loewenherz is a Colombian anthropologist, politician, and former member of the Colombian guerrilla M-19, of which she was also a co-founder.
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66. Carlos Antonio Mendoza
1856-1916 (aged 60)
lawyer
politician
Carlos Antonio Mendoza Soto was a Panamanian politician who served in 1908 and 1909 as the second presidential designate in the government of José Domingo de Obaldía. After the death of the first presidential designate José Agustín Arango in 1909 he was first in line to the presidency. In that capacity, Mendoza became President of Panama from 1 March 1910...
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67. Roy Barreras
1963-. (aged 63)
politician
physician
Roy Leonardo Barreras Montealegre is a Colombian politician and 2018 presidential candidate, he had served as senator from 2010 to 2023 and President of the Senate of Colombia from July 2022 to May 2023. In addition to senator, Barreras served as chairman of former governing party, the Union Party for the People. He entered politics in 2006 when he was...
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68. Eduardo Santos
1888-1974 (aged 86)
lawyer
journalist
diplomat
politician
Eduardo Santos Montejo was a Colombian publisher and politician who was President of Colombia from 1938 to 1942.
69. Nemesio Camacho
1869-1929 (aged 60)
lawyer
businessperson
politician
Nemesio Camacho Macías was a Colombian businessman and politician. The Stadium Nemesio Camacho in Bogotá is named after him.
70. Enrique Olaya Herrera
1880-1937 (aged 57)
politician
lawyer
diplomat
journalist
publisher
Enrique Alfredo Olaya Herrera was a Colombian journalist and politician. He served as President of Colombia from 7 August 1930 until 7 August 1934 representing the Colombian Liberal Party.
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71. León de Greiff
1895-1976 (aged 81)
musicologist
poet
journalist
diplomat
Francisco de Asís León Bogislao de Greiff Haeusler, was a Colombian poet known for his stylistic innovations and deliberately eclectic use of obscure lexicon. Best known simply as León de Greiff, he often used different pen names. The most popular were Leo le Gris and Gaspar Von Der Nacht. De Greiff was one of the founders of Los Panidas, a...
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72. Isabel Agatón Santander
1969-. (aged 57)
lawyer
poet
Isabel Agatón Santander is a Colombian poet, lawyer, writer and feminist. Promoter of the Rosa Elvira Cely Law (Law 1761 of 2015) which defines femicide as a crime in Colombia, she integrated the editorial commission of Law 1257 of 2008 about violence against women. She was a judge in the Tribunales de Conciencia de Justicia Para las Mujeres in Nicaragua...
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73. Laura Martignon
1952-. (aged 74)
teacher
mathematician
Laura Martignon is a Colombian and Italian professor and scientist. From 2003 until 2020 she served as a Professor of Mathematics and Mathematical Education at the Ludwigsburg University of Education. Until 2017 she was an Adjunct Scientist of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, where she previously worked as Senior Researcher. She also worked for ten years...
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