23 Notable alumni of University of Cauca
Updated: May 13, 2026 EliteDegrees
University of Cauca is ranked #2,735 in the world and #23 in Colombia by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 23 notable alumni from University of Cauca sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with University of Cauca won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Víctor Mosquera Chaux
1919-1997 (aged 78)
diplomat
politician
Víctor Mosquera Chaux was a Colombian lawyer and diplomat. A Liberal party politician, he served as Councilman of Popayán, Assemblymean of Cauca, Chamber Representative for Cauca, Senator of Colombia, and Governor of Cauca. He also served as Ambassador of Colombia to the United States, and Ambassador of Colombia to the United Kingdom.
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2. Aurelio Iragorri Hormaza
1937-2020 (aged 83)
politician
civil engineer
Aurelio Iragorri Hormaza was a Colombian politician who served as the President of the Chamber of Representatives and a Senator.
3. Rufino Cuervo
1801-1853 (aged 52)
politician
Rufino Cuervo y Barreto was a Grenadine politician, lawyer and journalist.
4. Gilberto Vieira
1911-2000 (aged 89)
politician
Gilberto Vieira White was a Colombian politician. He was a founder of the Colombian Communist Party, and served as the General Secretary of the party between 1947 and 1991. He was also a parliamentarian for a period.
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5. José María Quijano Wallis
1847-1922 (aged 75)
politician
lawyer
diplomat
sociologist
economist
Jose Maria Quijano Wallis was a Colombian lawyer, diplomat, politician and historian.
6. Ruben Varona
1980-. (aged 46)
writer
novelist
Ruben Varona is a Colombian author and literary critic specialized in crime and historical fiction.
7. Euclídes de Angulo
1841-1917 (aged 76)
politician
soldier
Diego Euclídes de Angulo Lemos was a Colombian soldier and lawyer who later entered politics and became President of Colombia in 1908.
8. Julián Trujillo Largacha
1828-1883 (aged 55)
diplomat
lawyer
politician
Julián Trujillo Largacha was a Colombian lawyer, statesman, General of the Army and President of Colombia from 1878 to 1880.
9. Esmeralda Arboleda Cadavid
1921-1997 (aged 76)
suffragist
lawyer
diplomat
politician
María Esmeralda Arboleda Cadavid was a Colombian politician, suffragist and the first woman elected to the Senate of Colombia, serving from 1958 to 1961.
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10. Ezequiel Hurtado
1825-1890 (aged 65)
politician
Ezequiel Hurtado Hurtado was a politician, military general and statesman who became 17th President of Colombia.
11. Julio César Turbay
1916-2005 (aged 89)
economist
lawyer
diplomat
politician
Julio César Turbay Ayala was a Colombian lawyer and politician who served as the 26th president of Colombia from 1978 to 1982. He also held the positions of Foreign Minister and Ambassador to the United States.
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12. Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera
1798-1878 (aged 80)
diplomat
statesperson
politician
Tomás Cipriano Ignacio Maria de Mosquera y Figueroa Arboleda Salazar, Prieto de Tovar, Vergara, Silva, Hurtado de Mendoza, Urrutia y Guzmán was a Colombian general, political figure, and slaveholder. 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...
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13. Guillermo León Valencia
1909-1971 (aged 62)
lawyer
journalist
diplomat
politician
Guillermo León Valencia Muñoz was a Colombian politician, lawyer and diplomat who served as the 22nd President of Colombia from 1962 to 1966.
14. Carlos Holmes Trujillo
1951-2021 (aged 70)
lawyer
politician
Carlos Holmes Trujillo García was a Colombian dynasty politician, diplomat, scholar, and attorney who served as minister of defense, foreign affairs, interior, and education. He also served as the mayor of Cali and as ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), the European Union, and a number of nations.
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15. Manuel Antonio Sanclemente
1813-1902 (aged 89)
military personnel
lawyer
politician
Manuel Antonio Sanclemente Sanclemente was President of Colombia between 1898 and 1900. While in poor health, he was overthrown in a 1900 coup.
16. Rodrigo Armando Lara Sánchez
1971-. (aged 55)
physician
environmentalist
politician
Rodrigo Armando Lara Sánchez is a Colombian politician and physician who was mayor of Neiva from 2016 to 2019. Lara Sánchez was the vice presidential candidate of Federico Gutiérrez of the Team for Colombia coalition in the 2022 presidential election, which they ended on third place.
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17. Manuel Cepeda Vargas
1930-1994 (aged 64)
lawyer
politician
journalist
Manuel Cepeda Vargas was a lawyer and Senator of Colombia, gunned down in Bogotá on 9 August 1994 as part of a campaign against the Patriotic Union. A Communist party politician, he had been a Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia from 1992 to 1994. In 2010, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights determined that Colombia violated the...
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18. Julio Arboleda Pombo
1817-1862 (aged 45)
politician
writer
diplomat
journalist
poet
Julio Arboleda Pombo was a Colombian poet, journalist, and politician. He was also a prominent slave owner and led a failed rebellion in 1851 with the aim of preventing the abolition of slavery in the country.
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19. Luis Fernando Velasco
1964-. (aged 62)
lawyer
politician
Luis Fernando Velasco Chaves is a Colombian politician and lawyer, graduated from the University of Cauca, with a master's degree in government and public administration. He has served as a member of the chamber of representatives for Cauca between 1998 and 2006, after this he served as a senator of Colombia between 2006 and 2022 and President of the Senate...
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20. Manuel María Mallarino
1808-1872 (aged 64)
diplomat
lawyer
politician
Manuel María Mallarino Ibargüen was the 8th Vice President of New Granada, and as such served as Acting President from 1855 to 1857.
21. Benjamín Herrera
1853-1924 (aged 71)
politician
Benjamín Herrera Cortés was a Colombian politician and general, born in Cali, Republic of New Granada. In 1875, while he was a student at the University of Cauca, Herrera joined the liberal army under César Conto to topple the conservative governor of Antioquia. He fought in the civil war for a decade until 1885, when the liberal forces were defeated...
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22. Carlos Albán
1844-1902 (aged 58)
astronomer
physicist
mathematician
chemist
physician
Carlos Albán was a Colombian inventor who specialized in mathematics, chemistry, medicine, and surgery. Albán also practiced as a political philosopher, journalist, and lawyer.
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23. Eliseo Payán
1825-1895 (aged 70)
lawyer
politician
journalist
José Eliseo Payán Hurtado 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.
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