Dagoberto Suárez Melo
Encyclopedia
Dagoberto Suárez Melo was a Colombia
n politician
who served as the Governor of Guaviare Department
in 2010.
Suárez's predecessor as the Governor of Guaviare, Oscar López Cadavid, resigned from office due to an investigation over his alleged ties to drug traffickers and Pedro "Cuchillo" Oliveiro Guerrero, a militia leader.
Dagoberto Suárez, a member of the National Integration Party
(PIN), was elected Governor of Guaviare in a special gubernatorial election in February 2010. Suarez garnered 11,777 votes in the election, while his nearest opponent, José Pérez Restrepo of the Colombian Conservative Party
, placed second with 7,132 votes. Liberal candidate Janeth Solano came in a distant third place with 865 votes. Suárez's election ended twelve consecutive years of Conservative Party rule in Guaviare.
In the early morning of December 4, 2010, Governor Suárez was fatally injured in a car accident while driving on the road known for potholes from Granada, Meta
to San José del Guaviare
. He had been attending a regional forum in Granada on the previous day.
The accident took place in an area called Los Mangos, a rural
section of the municipality
of Puerto Concordia
in Meta Department
. Suarez suffered severe head injuries in the accident, including a cerebral hemorrhage and inflammation. He was flown by helicopter to the hospital, where he underwent surgery to relieve pressure to his brain. According to the director of the Hospital Departamental de Villavicencio, Dagoberto Suárez died during the operation at the age of 35, . Five of Suarez's bodyguards were treated and released from the hospital.
Paul Robledo, the deputy justice minister of Guaviare, became the acting governor until a permanent successor could be chosen.
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...
who served as the Governor of Guaviare Department
Guaviare Department
Guaviare is a department of Colombia. It is in the southern central region of the country. Its capital is San José del Guaviare. Guaviare was created on July 4, 1991 by the new Political Constitution of Colombia...
in 2010.
Suárez's predecessor as the Governor of Guaviare, Oscar López Cadavid, resigned from office due to an investigation over his alleged ties to drug traffickers and Pedro "Cuchillo" Oliveiro Guerrero, a militia leader.
Dagoberto Suárez, a member of the National Integration Party
National Integration Party (Colombia)
The National Integration Party is a Colombian political party formed in November 2009. It has been linked with the Colombian parapolitics scandal in which Colombia paramilitaries were found to be influencing Colombian politics, and considered a "reincarnation" of the banned National Democratic...
(PIN), was elected Governor of Guaviare in a special gubernatorial election in February 2010. Suarez garnered 11,777 votes in the election, while his nearest opponent, José Pérez Restrepo of the Colombian 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...
, placed second with 7,132 votes. Liberal candidate Janeth Solano came in a distant third place with 865 votes. Suárez's election ended twelve consecutive years of Conservative Party rule in Guaviare.
In the early morning of December 4, 2010, Governor Suárez was fatally injured in a car accident while driving on the road known for potholes from Granada, Meta
Granada, Meta
Granada is a town and municipality in the Meta Department, Colombia.The municipality area is 350 km² and number of inhabitants 50 837. The municipality is located between 3° 26" latitude north and 73° 43" longitude west and between 372 og 410 above sea level. The daily mean air temperature...
to San José del Guaviare
San José del Guaviare
San José del Guaviare is a town and municipality in Colombia, capital of the department of Guaviare by the Guaviare River.-External links: *...
. He had been attending a regional forum in Granada on the previous day.
The accident took place in an area called Los Mangos, a rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
section of the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of Puerto Concordia
Puerto Concordia
Puerto Concordia is a town and municipality in the Meta Department, Colombia....
in Meta Department
Meta Department
Meta is a department of Colombia. It is close to the geographic center of the country, to the east of the Andean mountains. A large portion of the department, which is also crossed by the Meta River, is covered by a grassland plain known as the Llanos. Its capital is Villavicencio...
. Suarez suffered severe head injuries in the accident, including a cerebral hemorrhage and inflammation. He was flown by helicopter to the hospital, where he underwent surgery to relieve pressure to his brain. According to the director of the Hospital Departamental de Villavicencio, Dagoberto Suárez died during the operation at the age of 35, . Five of Suarez's bodyguards were treated and released from the hospital.
Paul Robledo, the deputy justice minister of Guaviare, became the acting governor until a permanent successor could be chosen.