Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento
Encyclopedia
Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento (born 2 October 1949) is a Colombian lawyer and politician who as the 2nd Attorney General of Colombia
brought charges and stood against the administration of Ernesto Samper Pizano during the Proceso 8000
. He also served as the 24th Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations
and as Ambassador of Colombia
to Israel
. A Radical Change
party politician, he was elected Representative
and Senator in the Congress of Colombia
, and served as Minister of National Education
under the administration of Virgilio Barco Vargas
.
from San Pedro Claver school, after having the first five years at the Instituto Tecnológico Santandereano. Following his graduation he moved to Bogotá, where he lived with his maternal aunt Cecilia Sarmiento Suárez, mother to his cousin Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento. He attended Pontifical Xavierian University
where he graduated in Law
with a concentration in Socio-Political Sciences. Afterwards he moved to the United States
where he received a Master of Arts
in Global Development Economics
(MA GDE) from Boston University
, and advanced studies in Urban and Regional Development at Toronto University.
, Santander
to Roberto Valdivieso Sarmiento and Mercedes Sarmiento Suárez. He married Marta Cecilia León Reyes in 1983 with whom he had two sons: Sergio and Camilo.
Attorney General of Colombia
The Office of the Attorney General of Colombia is the Colombian institution part of the Colombian judicial branch of Government with administrative autonomy designed to prosecute offenders, investigate crimes, review judicial processes and accuse penal law infractions against judges and courts of...
brought charges and stood against the administration of Ernesto Samper Pizano during the Proceso 8000
Proceso 8000
8,000 Process was the unofficial name of the legal investigation of events surrounding accusations that the Liberal candidate Ernesto Samper's 1994 campaign for President of Colombia was partially funded with drug money...
. He also served as the 24th Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations
Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations
The Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations is the Chief of Mission of the delegation of Colombia, and highest permanent representative of the Government of Colombia to the United Nations...
and as Ambassador of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. A Radical Change
Radical Change
Radical Change is a conservative liberal political party in Colombia.At the last legislative elections in Colombia on March 12, 2006, the party became one of the most important in the new congress, receiving 15 seats in the lower house and 20 in the upper house...
party politician, he was elected Representative
Chamber of Representatives of Colombia
The Chamber of Representatives is the lower house of the Congress of Colombia.The Chamber has 166 elected members for four-year terms.-How the Chamber is elected:...
and Senator in the Congress of Colombia
Congress of Colombia
The Congress of the Republic of Colombia is the name given to Colombia's bicameral national legislature.The Congress of Colombia consists of the 102-seat Senate , and the 166-seat Chamber of Representatives ...
, and served as Minister of National Education
Ministry of National Education (Colombia)
The Ministry of National Education is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia responsible for overseeing the instruction and education of the Colombian people, similar to education ministries in other countries.-List of Ministers:...
under the administration of Virgilio Barco Vargas
Virgilio Barco Vargas
Virgilio Barco Vargas was a politician and diplomat from Colombia. He was a member of the Colombian Liberal Party and served as president of Colombia from August 7, 1986 until August 7, 1990....
.
Background
He was raised in Bucaramanga where he attended primary school at the Divino Niño school, and in 1967, he graduated from secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
from San Pedro Claver school, after having the first five years at the Instituto Tecnológico Santandereano. Following his graduation he moved to Bogotá, where he lived with his maternal aunt Cecilia Sarmiento Suárez, mother to his cousin Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento. He attended Pontifical Xavierian University
Pontifical Xavierian University
The Pontificia Universidad Javeriana is a private higher education institution founded in 1623. It is one of the oldest, most traditional, and prestigious Colombian universities, directed by the Society of Jesus, with its main facilities in Bogotá and a second campus in Cali...
where he graduated in Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
with a concentration in Socio-Political Sciences. Afterwards he moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where he received a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Global Development Economics
Development economics
Development Economics is a branch of economics which deals with economic aspects of the development process in low-income countries. Its focus is not only on methods of promoting economic growth and structural change but also on improving the potential for the mass of the population, for example,...
(MA GDE) from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, and advanced studies in Urban and Regional Development at Toronto University.
Personal life
He was born on in BucaramangaBucaramanga
Bucaramanga is a Colombian city, and capital city of the department of Santander, Colombia. Bucaramanga has the fifth largest city economy and sixth largest population in Colombia, with 1,212,656 people in its metropolitan area...
, Santander
Santander Department
Santander is a department of Colombia. Santander inherited the name of one of the nine original states of the United States of Colombia. It is located in the central northern part of the country, east of the Magdalena River, bordered to the south and southeast by Boyacá, to the northeast by Norte...
to Roberto Valdivieso Sarmiento and Mercedes Sarmiento Suárez. He married Marta Cecilia León Reyes in 1983 with whom he had two sons: Sergio and Camilo.