Álvaro Uribe Vélez
Former President of the Republic of Colombia
His Excellency Álvaro Uribe Vélez is a Colombian politician and statesman. He served as the 31st President of the Republic of Colombia.
His dedication to public service began at a very young age. In 1974, he became city counselor for the city of Salgar and in 1976 was appointed head of the Real Estate Office of the Public Works Department of Medellín. In 1982, he became Mayor of Medellín and subsequently served as city counselor (1984-1986). He was elected and served as national Senator twice (1986-1990 and 1990-1994) and Governor of the Department of Antioquia (1995-1997).
In 2002, Uribe launched his winning presidential campaign based on the conviction that a government whose first priority were moral accountability and a strong sense of leadership would most successfully confront Colombia’s biggest challenges. In 2006, he was re-reelected to a second term by an overwhelming majority. During his eight years in office, Uribe was responsible for the transformation of Colombia from a country considered by many to be a “failed state,” struggling with limited territorial control and escalating violence, into one of the most thriving and dynamic countries in the hemisphere. By the time he left office, he enjoyed a 75% approval rating.
Uribe founded the Centro Democrático political party in 2014 and served again as a national Senator (2014-2020). In 2015, 2016, and 2019, he was honored by his colleagues in Congress as the country’s best Senator. He continues to be politically active in Colombia.
Uribe is also active internationally. He has been a Visiting Professor at Georgetown University and Vice-Chairman of the UN panel investigating the Gaza Flotilla Raid. Additionally, he has been a member of several international advisory boards, including JP Morgan, News Corp, 21st Century Fox, and Concordia. He continuously speaks worldwide in favor of liberty and democracy.
Uribe holds a degree in law from the Universidad de Antioquia and a post-graduate degree in Management and Administration from Harvard University.
