Juan Manuel Santos

former president of Colombia

Juan Manuel Santos Calderón (born 10 August 1951) is a Colombian politician. He became the President of Colombia on 7 August 2010.[2] Santos replaces Álvaro Uribe as president.


Juan Manuel Santos

32nd President of Colombia
In office
7 August 2010 – 7 August 2018
Vice PresidentAngelino Garzón
Germán Vargas Lleras
Oscar Naranjo
Preceded byÁlvaro Uribe
Succeeded byIván Duque Márquez
President pro tempore of the Pacific Alliance
In office
30 June 2017 – 24 July 2018
Preceded byMichelle Bachelet
Succeeded byMartin Vizcarra
In office
23 May 2013 – 20 June 2014
Preceded bySebastián Piñera
Succeeded byEnrique Peña Nieto
Minister of National Defense
In office
19 July 2006 – 18 May 2009
PresidentÁlvaro Uribe
Preceded byCamilo Ospina Bernal
Succeeded byFreddy Padilla de León (acting)
Minister of Finance and Public Credit
In office
7 August 2000 – 7 August 2002
PresidentAndrés Pastrana Arango
Preceded byJuan Camilo Restrepo Salazar
Succeeded byRoberto Junguito Bonnet
Minister of Foreign Trade
In office
18 November 1991 – 7 August 1994
PresidentCésar Gaviria
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byDaniel Mazuera Gómez
Presidential Designate of Colombia
In office
1993–1994
PresidentCésar Gaviria
Preceded byHumberto De la Calle
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Personal details
Born
Juan Manuel Santos Calderón

(1951-08-10) 10 August 1951 (age 72)
Bogotá, Colombia
Political partyLiberal Party (Before 2005)
Social Party of National Unity (2005–present)
Spouse(s)Silvia Amaya Londoño (divorced)
ChildrenMartín
María Antonia
Esteban
Alma materUniversity of Kansas[1]
London School of Economics
Tufts University
Harvard University
AwardsNobel Peace Prize (2016)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance Colombia
Branch/serviceColombian Navy
Years of service1967–1971

Santos has distanced himself from Uribe. Santos intends work on the social need of the country. He also wants to improve relations Colombia's neighbors.

Since winning the presidency in a June 20 landslide, Santos has marked distance between himself and Uribe, signaling the arrival of a leader who, unlike his predecessor, intends to focus on a social agenda and the country's frayed relations with its neighbors. During his inauguration speech, he said

"I will preside over a government of national unity that will bring social prosperity for all Colombians... If we want to have economic and social development, we need to build unity among us."

Santos was schooled in the United States and is familiar with technology. He was a defense minister in the Uribe government. Santos has become well known around the world for trying to end the long conflict in Colombia. In 2016, after a lot of negotiations, he announced a peace deal with the FARC militia, which has been at war with the Colombian government since the 1960s. By June 2016, a peace deal had been reached, and some people have said Santos and the other negotiators may win a Nobel Peace Prize if the peace deal holds. Uribe is against the deal, which he thinks is too easy on FARC.

He is 65 years old, and is from one of the most politically influential families of Colombia. He is married to Maria and has three children.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 [3]

He left office on 7 August 2018 and was replaced by conservative Iván Duque Márquez.

References change

  • Forero, Juan (2010-08-08). "Juan Manuel Santos takes oath as Colombia's new president". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-08-13. I will preside over a government of national unity that will bring social prosperity for all Colombians,
  1. "Colombian president to visit KU Sept. 24". Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas. 4 September 2012. Archived from the original on 21 June 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  2. "Historical Challenge". Semana International. 13 August 2010. Archived from the original on 19 January 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  3. "The Nobel Peace Prize for 2016". The Nobel Peace Prize for 2016. Nobelprize.org.