Andrés Pastrana Arango

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Andrés Pastrana Arango

Role / Field:

Colombian politician who served as President of Colombia from 1998 to 2002.

Born:

1954-08-17

Century / Era:

1954s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Andrés Pastrana Arango (born 17 August 1954) is a Colombian politician who was President of Colombia from 1998 to 2002, following in the footsteps of his father, Misael Pastrana Borrero, who was president from 1970 to 1974. Pastrana was born on 17 August 1954 in Bogotá to Misael Pastrana Borrero, who later served as the 23rd President of Colombia, and María Cristina Arango Vega, the former First Lady of Colombia. During his father's presidency, he was a high school student at Colegio San Carlos where he served as president of the student council and graduated in 1973. He later acquired a degree in law at the Our Lady of the Rosary University in 1977, and attended Harvard University as a 1978 Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Fellow. He founded the magazine Guión and a programadora known as Datos y Mensajes, whose flagship program was the newscast Noticiero TV Hoy.

Career & Major Achievements

As a regular news anchor he became a nationally known figure. In 1982, he formally began his political career by gaining a seat on the local Bogotá council. He also specialized in press articles on the production and trafficking of cocaine for which he gained many journalistic awards. In 1991, he was elected Senator. He was kidnapped on January 18, 1988, in Antioquia by the Medellín Cartel, which was pressuring the Colombian government into preventing the extradition of Pablo Escobar and other drug lords to the United States.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He was found by the National Police a week later, and in March, he was elected Mayor of Bogotá, a position that he held until 1990. In 1994, he stood for the presidency against the Liberal candidate, Ernesto Samper, and lost by only 2% in the second round. Pastrana immediately accused Samper of using drug money to finance his campaign and provided audio recordings to the authorities that subsequently attracted much media attention and eventually led to a scandal known as 8.000 Process (Proceso 8.000). While the accusation underwent a parliamentary investigation, Pastrana retired into his private life. In 1998, Pastrana announced his intention to run for president.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1954 (1954-08-17): Birth of Andrés Pastrana Arango — Colombian politician who served as President of Colombia from 1998 to 2002.
2. 1973: 1973 Milestone — During his father's presidency, he was a high school student at Colegio San Carlos where he served as president of the student council and graduated in 1973.
3. 1977: 1977 Milestone — He later acquired a degree in law at the Our Lady of the Rosary University in 1977, and attended Harvard University as a 1978 Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Fellow.
4. 1982: 1982 Milestone — In 1982, he formally began his political career by gaining a seat on the local Bogotá council.
5. 1988: 1988 Milestone — He was kidnapped on January 18, 1988, in Antioquia by the Medellín Cartel, which was pressuring the Colombian government into preventing the extradition of Pablo Escobar and other drug lords to the United States.
6. 1990: 1990 Milestone — He was found by the National Police a week later, and in March, he was elected Mayor of Bogotá, a position that he held until 1990.
7. 1994: 1994 Milestone — In 1994, he stood for the presidency against the Liberal candidate, Ernesto Samper, and lost by only 2% in the second round.
8. 1998: 1998 Milestone — In 1998, Pastrana announced his intention to run for president.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Andrés Pastrana Arango

True or False: “Did Andrés Pastrana Arango's presidency involve negotiations with the FARC and ELN that resulted in a demilitarized safe haven?”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): Yes, his presidency is noted for these negotiations, which culminated in granting a demilitarized safe haven to the guerrilla groups.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aarathi — Contemporary (Born in 1954) (1954): Veteran Indian actress celebrated for her roles in Kannada cinema during the 1970s and 1980s.
• Abdel Fattah el-Sisi — Contemporary (Born in 1954) (1954): Egyptian military leader who became the sixth President of Egypt in 2014.
• Abida Parveen — Contemporary (Born in 1954) (1954): The acclaimed Pakistani 'Queen of Sufi Music' vocalist.
• Alex Honnold — Shared historical date (08-17 · Born) (1985): Pioneering free solo climber, famous for conquering El Capitan.
• Alexandre Lacassagne — Shared historical date (08-17 · Born) (1843): Pioneering French criminologist and founder of the Lacassagne school of criminology.
• Alan Hollinghurst — Historical peer (Born in 1954) (1954): Acclaimed English novelist known for pioneering gay-themed fiction in the literary mainstream.
• Alan Turing — Historical peer (Died in 1954) (1954): Father of theoretical computer science, known for the Turing machine and codebreaking.
• Aitana Bonmatí — Historical peer (Born in 1998) (1998): Star Spanish midfielder known for her decorated career with Barcelona and the Spain national team.
• Akira Kurosawa — Historical peer (Died in 1998) (1998): Master of Japanese cinema, known for dynamic style and epic storytelling.
• Abba Eban — Historical peer (Died in 2002) (2002): Israeli diplomat, politician, and scholar of Arabic and Hebrew languages.
• 1954 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1954
• August 17 (08-17) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on August 17

Frequently Asked Questions about Andrés Pastrana Arango