Belisario Betancur

Belisario Betancur Cuartas (4 February 1923 – 7 December 2018) was a Colombian politician who served as the 27th 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 guerrilla groups. He was also one of the few presidents to abstain from participating in politics after leaving office.

Early life

Betancur was born in the Morro de la Paila district of the town of Amagá, Antioquia, in 1923.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="bio">Template:Cite web</ref> His parents were Rosendo Betancur, a blue-collar worker, and Ana Otilia Cuartas, a businesswoman.<ref name=bio/> Betancur's mother died in 1950. He was of French descent.<ref name="Arismendi255">Arismendi Posada, Ignacio; Gobernantes Colombianos; trans. Colombian Presidents; Interprint Editors Ltd., Italgraf, Segunda Edición; Page 255; Bogotá, Colombia; 1983</ref>

Betancur traveled to the city of Medellín, where he enrolled in the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana.<ref name="Arismendi255"/> In 1955, Betancur graduated in jurisprudence and obtained a degree in law and economics.<ref name="Arismendi255"/>

Political career

Betancur began his political career as a deputy in the Antioquia Departmental Assembly, where he served from 1945 to 1947.<ref name="bious">Template:Cite web</ref> He served as a Representative to the National Chamber for the departments of Cundinamarca and Antioquia, and was a member of the National Constituent Assembly from 1953 to 1957.<ref name=office/>

Betancur was the Minister of Labor in 1963 and Ambassador to Spain from 1975 to 1977.<ref name="office">Template:Cite web</ref>

He ran for president as an independent Conservative candidate in the election of 1970, coming in third.<ref name="runs">Template:Cite web</ref> He again ran as the official Conservative candidate in the election of 1978, but was defeated by Julio César Turbay Ayala.<ref name=runs/>

Presidency

Betancur was finally elected President in 1982 and served until 1986.<ref name=runs/> As President, he helped found the Contadora Group to bring about peace in Central America, began democratic reforms by incorporating the principal armed movements into civil life, promoted low-cost housing and open universities, began a literacy campaign and endorsed tax amnesty.<ref name="UPI">Template:Cite web</ref>

During his term, the government approved the mayoral election law, municipal and departmental reforms, judicial and congressional reforms, the television statute, the national holiday law, and the new Código Contencioso Administrativo.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His administration began the exploration and export of coal in the Cerrejón North region and the broadcast of the regional television channels Teleantioquia and Telecaribe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Colombia failed peace dialogues Betancur was also noted for his attempts to bring peace to his country.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During his administration he initiated peace talks with several Colombian guerrilla groups.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The controversial Palace of Justice siege occurred in late 1985, less than a year before the end of his presidential term.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

He was president during the 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz, which killed over 20,000 people.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Post-presidency

Betancur retired from politics after he left office in 1986.

Betancur was an Honorary Member of the Club of Rome for Latin America,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Chairman of the Truth Commission for El Salvador,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and President of the Santillana for Latin America Foundation in Bogotá.<ref name=office/> He also was a founding member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.<ref name=office/>

Personal life

In 1946, Betancur married Rosa Helena Álvarez Yepes.<ref name="RHAY">Template:Cite news</ref> Together, they had three children including diplomat Diego Betancur Álvarez.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Álvarez Yepes died in 1998.<ref name=RHAY/> In October 2000, Betancur married Dalia Rafaela Navarro Palmar.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Death

On 6 December 2018, Betancur was hospitalized in Bogotá in a critical condition, suffering from a kidney infection.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Vice President Marta Lucía Ramírez prematurely announced his death on Twitter, but later retracted her statement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Betancur died the following day from the illness, aged 95.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Before his death, Betancur said he did not wish to have a state funeral and expressed interest in being buried at Jardines del Recuerdo Cemetery in Bogotá.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 8 December, his funeral was held with President Iván Duque Márquez and former presidents Juan Manuel Santos and César Gaviria in attendance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=burial>Template:Cite news</ref> He was buried at Jardines del Recuerdo Cemetery later that day following a mass at Gimnasio Moderno in Bogotá.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=burial/>

Honours

Betancur was the recipient of honorary doctorates from the University of Colorado and Georgetown University.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He received the Prince of Asturias Peace Award of Spain in 1983.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Biography by CIDOB Foundation
• Betancur's page at the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences