Antonio Navarro Wolff
Encyclopedia
Antonio Navarro Wolff (born July 9, 1948 in Pasto
, Nariño
) is a Colombia
n politician
and former commander of the 19th of April Movement
(M-19) guerrilla group, which demobilized and formed a political party which he also led. Currently, he is governor of the Department of Nariño.
, after which he took postgraduate courses and eventually became a professor at the same university. He studied Environmental Engineering at Loughborough University
, UK in 1976 on a scholarship from the Rockefeller Foundation
, the British Council
and the International Development Research Center (IDRC) of Canada
.
As a sanitary engineer, he was an adviser of the Social Medicine Department of the University of Valle (1972), coordinator of the Multidisciplinary Research Center for Rural Development (CIMDER, 1972-1977), international adviser of the IDRC (1976-1978), Professor at the University of Valle (1972-1978), director of the Curriculum of Sanitary Engineering at the university, and a private consultant.
by armed guerrillas. They pretended to demand a trial of President Belisario Betancur
for violation of the peace accords. During the operation led by security forces to retake the Palace, a large group of guerrillas, civilians, magistrates and soldiers lost their lives. Although the exact events that occurred will probably never be clear, some unconfirmed versions suggest the guerrillas were financed by the narcotics trafficker Pablo Escobar
, in return for the destruction of compromising documents. Nevertheless, these versions have been denied by recent investigations, which conclude that the fire in the archives may have been caused by government troops.
, Alfonso Jacquin
, Andrés Almarales
and Israel Santamaría. Talks were broken off, truces failed and the peace process died. In May 1985, the talks collapsed after an attack in a cafeteria in the city of Cali
, when an army man threw a grenade that exploded ten centimeters away from Navarro, who was severely wounded. The facial nerve that controls the left part the jaw was destroyed and he lost his left leg below the knee. M-19 was told that Navarro was to be attacked in the hospital, so he was evacuated to Mexico where the leg was amputated. He received a prosthesis in Cuba.
Later, Carlos Pizarro carried out peace negotiations with the government of President Virgilio Barco. The peace signed 11 March 1990.
After signing the peace accords, M-19 nominated its leader, Carlos Pizarro Leongómez
for the presidency of the republic, but he was assassinated on a commercial flight from Bogotá to Barranquilla on 26 April 1990. After the Pizarro's burial, the leaders of M-19 met and decided to continue with the peace process of peace. They nominated Navarro for the Presidency, who came in third in the balloting.
and Navarro became its Secretary General.
Antonio Navarro has been mayor of the city of Pasto
, Congressman of Colombia
and was one of the three collegiate presidents of the Constituent Assembly of Colombia
writing the Colombian Constitution of 1991
. He has served as Colombian Minister of Health.
In 1990, he ran for the presidency of Colombia
, but lost to Carlos Gaviria in the party primaries. He then ran for the Senate
and was elected.
Today he is the governor of Nariño of the PDA.
Pasto
Pasto, officially San Juan de Pasto, is the capital of the department of Nariño, located in southwest Colombia. The city is located in the "Atriz Valley", on the Andes cordillera, at the foot of the Galeras volcano, at an altitude of 8,290 feet above sea level...
, Nariño
Nariño Department
Nariño is a department of Colombia named after Antonio Nariño. It is in the west of the country, bordering Ecuador and the Pacific Ocean.Its capital is Pasto, other important cities include Tumaco, Ipiales.-Municipalities:# Albán# Aldana# Ancuya...
) is a 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...
n politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and former commander of the 19th of April Movement
19th of April Movement
The 19th of April Movement or M-19, was a Colombian guerrilla movement. After its demobilization it became a political party, the M-19 Democratic Alliance , or AD/M-19.The M-19 traced its origins to the allegedly fraudulent presidential elections of 19 April 1970...
(M-19) guerrilla group, which demobilized and formed a political party which he also led. Currently, he is governor of the Department of Nariño.
Before M-19
In 1972, Navarro graduated as a sanitary engineer from the University of ValleUniversity of Valle
The University of Valle , also called Univalle, is a public, departmental, coeducational, research university based primarily in the city of Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. It is the largest higher education institution by student population in the southwest of the country, and the third in...
, after which he took postgraduate courses and eventually became a professor at the same university. He studied Environmental Engineering at Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
, UK in 1976 on a scholarship from the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
and the International Development Research Center (IDRC) of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
As a sanitary engineer, he was an adviser of the Social Medicine Department of the University of Valle (1972), coordinator of the Multidisciplinary Research Center for Rural Development (CIMDER, 1972-1977), international adviser of the IDRC (1976-1978), Professor at the University of Valle (1972-1978), director of the Curriculum of Sanitary Engineering at the university, and a private consultant.
Militancy in M-19
At the end of the 1970s, he became a part of the guerrilla group M-19. Within the M-19, Navarro ascended to second-in-command of the organization. One of the most controversial episodes of M-19 was the take-over of the Palace of JusticePalace of Justice siege
The Palace of Justice siege was a 1985 attack against the Supreme Court of Colombia, in which members of the M-19 guerrilla group took over the Palace of Justice in Bogotá, Colombia, and held the Supreme Court hostage, intending to hold a trial against President Belisario Betancur...
by armed guerrillas. They pretended to demand a trial of President Belisario Betancur
Belisario Betancur
Belisario Betancur Cuartas is a Colombian statesman, who as a member of the Colombian Conservative Party was President of Colombia from 1982 to 1986.- Biographic data :...
for violation of the peace accords. During the operation led by security forces to retake the Palace, a large group of guerrillas, civilians, magistrates and soldiers lost their lives. Although the exact events that occurred will probably never be clear, some unconfirmed versions suggest the guerrillas were financed by the narcotics trafficker Pablo Escobar
Pablo Escobar
Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was a Colombian drug lord. He was an elusive cocaine trafficker and rich and successful criminal. He owned numerous luxury residences, automobiles, and even airplanes...
, in return for the destruction of compromising documents. Nevertheless, these versions have been denied by recent investigations, which conclude that the fire in the archives may have been caused by government troops.
Peace Negotiations
Navarro coordinated peace negotiations for this movement the government of President Betancur in 1984 and 1985. He was named head of the Commission to organize the National Dialogue, along with Vera GrabeVera Grabe
Vera Grabe Loewenherz is a Colombian anthropologist, politician, and former member of the Colombian guerrilla M-19, of which she was also a co-founder...
, Alfonso Jacquin
Alfonso Jacquin
Alfonso Jacquin Gutierrez Colombian guerrilla, member of the National Direction of the M-19 and founder of this guerrilla. Lawyer of the University of the Atlantic, evolved like professor of Right in the Free University of Barranquilla. It was a brilliant orator...
, Andrés Almarales
Andrés Almarales
Andrés Almarales Manga, was one of the commanders of the 19th of April Movement terrorist group. He was a member of the Colombian Communist Party. He worked with the socialist groups under Antonio Garcia and with the United People's Front with the priest, Camilo Torres...
and Israel Santamaría. Talks were broken off, truces failed and the peace process died. In May 1985, the talks collapsed after an attack in a cafeteria in the city of Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
, when an army man threw a grenade that exploded ten centimeters away from Navarro, who was severely wounded. The facial nerve that controls the left part the jaw was destroyed and he lost his left leg below the knee. M-19 was told that Navarro was to be attacked in the hospital, so he was evacuated to Mexico where the leg was amputated. He received a prosthesis in Cuba.
Later, Carlos Pizarro carried out peace negotiations with the government of President Virgilio Barco. The peace signed 11 March 1990.
After signing the peace accords, M-19 nominated its leader, Carlos Pizarro Leongómez
Carlos Pizarro Leongómez
Carlos Pizarro Leongómez was the fourth commander of the Colombian guerrilla group 19th of April Movement . Pizarro later ran for president of Colombia after the demobilization of M-19 that transformed the group into the political party, M-19 Democratic Alliance...
for the presidency of the republic, but he was assassinated on a commercial flight from Bogotá to Barranquilla on 26 April 1990. After the Pizarro's burial, the leaders of M-19 met and decided to continue with the peace process of peace. They nominated Navarro for the Presidency, who came in third in the balloting.
Political life
In the 2000s, M-19 entered a leftist coalition of parties called the Alternative Democratic PoleAlternative Democratic Pole
The Alternative Democratic Pole is a political alliance in Colombia, formed by the Independent Democratic Pole and the Democratic Alternative in December 2005...
and Navarro became its Secretary General.
Antonio Navarro has been mayor of the city of Pasto
Pasto
Pasto, officially San Juan de Pasto, is the capital of the department of Nariño, located in southwest Colombia. The city is located in the "Atriz Valley", on the Andes cordillera, at the foot of the Galeras volcano, at an altitude of 8,290 feet above sea level...
, Congressman 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 was one of the three collegiate presidents of the Constituent Assembly of Colombia
Constituent Assembly of Colombia
The Constituent Assembly of Colombia was formed on February 5, 1991, to draft Colombia's 1991 constitution. It was dissolved in June 1991, after the new document was adopted nationwide.-Background:...
writing the Colombian Constitution of 1991
Colombian Constitution of 1991
The Political Constitution of Colombia, better known as the Constitution of 1991, is the current governing document of the Republic of Colombia. Promulgated on July 4 of 1991 , it replaced the Constitution of 1886...
. He has served as Colombian Minister of Health.
In 1990, he ran for the presidency of Colombia
President of Colombia
The President of Colombia is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Colombia. The office of president was established upon the ratification of the Constitution of 1819, by the Congress of Angostura, convened in December 1819, when Colombia was part of "la Gran Colombia"...
, but lost to Carlos Gaviria in the party primaries. He then ran for the Senate
Senate of Colombia
The Senate of the Republic of Colombia is the upper house of the Congress of Colombia, with the lower house being the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia...
and was elected.
Today he is the governor of Nariño of the PDA.