Andrés Felipe Arias Leiva
Encyclopedia
Andrés Felipe Arias Leiva (born 4 May 1973) is a Colombian
economist who served as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
of Colombia
from 2005 to 2009, and was a candidate for the Conservative Party
nomination in the 2010 Colombian presidential election
, ultimately losing to Noemí Sanín
.
at the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit
. After just one year, Arias was promoted to Minister by President Álvaro Uribe
on 21 January 2005, and took office two weeks later on 4 February replacing his former boss Minister Cano.
He resigns his post at the Ministry to run for the Conservative Party candidacy for the 2010 presidential elections, but ultimately looses the nomination to Noemí Sanín, who in turn lost to Juan Manuel Santos Calderón. Arias and Santos had gotten close during the campaign, something the Conservatives disapproved. In return Santos presented him with an Ambassadorship to Italy
to replace Sabas Pretelt, but by then, Arias found himself involved in an investigation and his nomination was heavily criticized by Congress, including the President of the Chamber of Representatives
, Carlos Alberto Zuluaga, who publicly called for him to stay in the country proving his innocence. Arias ultimately choose to decline the Ambassadorship. In July 26, 2011, he was sentenced for the "Agro Ingreso Seguro" scandal to spent time in the La Picota Colombian penitentiary.
Colombian people
Colombian people are from a multiethnic Spanish speaking nation in South America called Colombia. Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and are a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians.-Demography:...
economist who served as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Colombia)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia in charge of the management and oversight of the rural development and agriculture of Colombia.-Functions:...
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...
from 2005 to 2009, and was a candidate for the Conservative Party
Colombian Conservative Party
The Colombian Conservative Party , is a conservative political party in Colombia. The party was unofficially founded by a group of Revolutionary Commoners during the Revolutionary War for Independence from the Spanish Monarchy and later formally established during the Greater Colombia...
nomination in the 2010 Colombian presidential election
Colombian presidential election, 2010
The Colombian presidential election of 2010 took place under a two-round system, with an initial vote held on May 30 and a second poll held three weeks later on June 20. A referendum proposal that would have allowed incumbent President Álvaro Uribe the opportunity to run for a third term was...
, ultimately losing to Noemí Sanín
Noemí Sanín
Marta Noemí del Espíritu Santo Sanín Posada is a Colombian lawyer and politician, twice Ambassador of Colombia to the United Kingdom, as well as Ambassador to Spain and Venezuela...
.
Political career
On 16 February 2004, Arias was appointed Deputy Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development serving under Minister Carlos Gustavo Cano Sanz, leaving his job as Director of MacroeconomicsMacroeconomics
Macroeconomics is a branch of economics dealing with the performance, structure, behavior, and decision-making of the whole economy. This includes a national, regional, or global economy...
at the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit
Ministry of Finance and Public Credit
The Ministry of Finance and Public Credit , is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia responsible for the financial and budgetary matters of the country as well as implementing the financial policies passed by Congress, equivalent to the finance ministries of other...
. After just one year, Arias was promoted to Minister by President Álvaro Uribe
Álvaro Uribe
Alvaro Uribe Vélez was the 58th President of Colombia, from 2002 to 2010. In August 2010 he was appointed Vice-chairman of the UN panel investigating the Gaza flotilla raid....
on 21 January 2005, and took office two weeks later on 4 February replacing his former boss Minister Cano.
He resigns his post at the Ministry to run for the Conservative Party candidacy for the 2010 presidential elections, but ultimately looses the nomination to Noemí Sanín, who in turn lost to Juan Manuel Santos Calderón. Arias and Santos had gotten close during the campaign, something the Conservatives disapproved. In return Santos presented him with an Ambassadorship to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to replace Sabas Pretelt, but by then, Arias found himself involved in an investigation and his nomination was heavily criticized by Congress, including the President of the Chamber of Representatives
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:...
, Carlos Alberto Zuluaga, who publicly called for him to stay in the country proving his innocence. Arias ultimately choose to decline the Ambassadorship. In July 26, 2011, he was sentenced for the "Agro Ingreso Seguro" scandal to spent time in the La Picota Colombian penitentiary.