Guillermo León Valencia

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the Colombian politician. For the poet, see Guillermo Valencia. For the football player, see Guillermo León.
In this
Spanish name, the first or paternal surname
is Valencia and the second or maternal family name is Muñóz.
Guillermo León Valencia
21st President of Colombia
In office
7 August 1962 (1962-08-07) – 7 August 1966 (1966-08-07)
Preceded byAlberto Lleras Camargo
Succeeded byCarlos Lleras Restrepo
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
25 May 1953 (1953-05-25) – 13 June 1953 (1953-06-13)
PresidentRoberto Urdaneta
Acting President:(1951-1953)
Preceded byEvaristo Sourdis Juliao
Succeeded byJuan Uribe Holguín
Colombia Ambassador to Spain
In office
1950–1953
PresidentLaureano Gómez
Preceded byFrancisco Umaña
Succeeded byAlejandro Galvis
Personal details
Born
Guillermo León Valencia Muñoz

(1909-04-27)27 April 1909
Susana López Navia
(1931–1964)
Children

Guillermo León Valencia Muñoz (27 April 1909 – 4 November 1971) was a Colombian politician, lawyer and diplomat who served as the

21st President of Colombia
from 1962 to 1966.

Personal life

Valencia was born in Popayán, Cauca on April 27, 1909, to Colombian poet and politician Guillermo Valencia, and his wife Josefina Muñoz.[1] He attended highschool at the Colegio Champagnat[2] in Bogotá and graduated in December 1946. On January 31, 1931 he married Susana López Navia, a 20-year-old secretary with whom he had four children: Pedro Felipe, Alma, Ignacio, and Diana.[3]

Political career

Valencia was elected to the city council of

Laureano Gómez Castro.[4] In 1949 he was appointed by President Mariano Ospina Pérez as Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs but declined the offer.[5] However, four years later Valencia did accept the position and became Minister of Foreign Affairs on May 25, 1953, a post he held for the remainder of the administration of Roberto Urdaneta Arbeláez until General Rojas Pinilla took over.[6]

During the transitional government of the

Military Junta that took power after the coup d'état that deposed General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, Valencia was under consideration to succeed the Junta. However, the political accord between the political forces of the time (in pursuit of a transition from a dictatorship to a democratic process), specified that a member of the Colombian Liberal Party succeed the Junta Militar. Consequently, Valencia had to wait until the following election. In 1962, Valencia was nominated by the Colombian Conservative Party as their candidate for the presidency, facing the liberal Alfonso López Michelsen
. Valencia won: 1,636,081 votes to 625,630.

Presidency

Valencia committed his administration to substantial economic and social reforms. On the economic front, he created the Junta Monetaria (Federal Reserve), doubled the production of electric power and promoted both oil drilling and the export of crude oil. In matters of social reform, his administration increased the national budget for education by 20%, and under the auspices of the government of the

Ciudad Kennedy
, a project of 200,000 affordable homes for lower income citizens.

References

  1. ^ Méndez Valencia, María Alexandra. "Valencia, Guillermo". Gran Enciclopedia de Colombia del Círculo de Lectores (in Spanish). Luis Ángel Arango Library. Archived from the original on 2012-12-01. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  2. ^ Tiempo, Casa Editorial El (2013-06-07). "El colegio Champagnat celebra sus 75 años". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  3. ^ Ríos Peñaloza, Gilma (August 1996). "Primeras Damas del Siglo XX" [First Ladies of the 20th Century]. Revista Credencial Historia (in Spanish) (80). Bogotá: Biblioteca del Banco de la República. Archived from the original on 2010-04-16. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  4. ^ "Bogota Names Envoy to Spain". The New York Times. 1950-09-27.
  5. OCLC 11225363
    . Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  6. OCLC 11225363
    . Retrieved 2010-02-15.
Political offices
Preceded by President of Colombia
1962–1966 		Succeeded by
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