Fernando Araújo Perdomo
Encyclopedia
Fernando Araújo Perdomo is a Colombia
n politician. He was the Minister of Development during the administration of Andrés Pastrana. He resigned from this post after the Chambacú land deal scandal. He was later kidnapped by the FARC-EP guerrillas and held for six years until he eventually escaped. Two months later after his liberation, president
Álvaro Uribe
appointed him as Minister of Foreign Affairs
.
and studied Civil engineering
at the Pontifical Xavierian University
the note "Chambacú, corral de empresarios", in which he was accused of participating in a corrupt land deal.
and escaped more than six years later, on December 31, 2006 after a Colombian National Army military operation in the Montes de María
mountains in the southern regions of the Bolivar Department
. Araújo spent several days in hiding without food or water until eventually finding help and then facing the press on January 5, 2007.
On February 19, 2007, Araújo was appointed as new Minister of Foreign Affairs by President Álvaro Uribe
, replacing María Consuelo Araújo
(no relation to Fernando Araújo) who resigned due to her brother's involvement in the 2006–2007 Colombian para-political scandal. He resigned from the post on July 16, 2008.
jungle mountains in southern Bolivar
. He was surprised by her absence after his release and asked his brother about her whereabouts, who told him of her leaving.
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. He was the Minister of Development during the administration of Andrés Pastrana. He resigned from this post after the Chambacú land deal scandal. He was later kidnapped by the FARC-EP guerrillas and held for six years until he eventually escaped. Two months later after his liberation, president
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"...
Álvaro Uribe
Álvaro Uribe
Alvaro Uribe Vélez was the 58th President of Colombia, from 2002 to 2010. In August 2010 he was appointed Vice-chairman of the UN panel investigating the Gaza flotilla raid....
appointed him as Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Colombia)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also known as the Chancellery, is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia responsible for the foreign relations of Colombia through its diplomatic missions abroad by formulating foreign policy relevant to the matters of the State, it is...
.
Education
Araújo graduated from high school in the Colegio La Salle in the city of Cartagena, he then moved to BogotáBogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
and studied Civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
at the Pontifical Xavierian University
Pontifical Xavierian University
The Pontificia Universidad Javeriana is a private higher education institution founded in 1623. It is one of the oldest, most traditional, and prestigious Colombian universities, directed by the Society of Jesus, with its main facilities in Bogotá and a second campus in Cali...
Chambacú case
Araújo resigned after Ignacio Gómez published in El EspectadorEl Espectador
El Espectador is a newspaper with national circulation within Colombia, founded by Fidel Cano Gutiérrez on 22 March 1887 in Medellín and published since 1915 in Bogotá...
the note "Chambacú, corral de empresarios", in which he was accused of participating in a corrupt land deal.
Kidnapping
While he was under investigation, Araújo was kidnapped on December 4, 2000 near his home in Cartagena by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of ColombiaRevolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army is a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization based in Colombia which is involved in the ongoing Colombian armed conflict, currently involved in drug dealing and crimes against the civilians..FARC-EP is a peasant army which...
and escaped more than six years later, on December 31, 2006 after a Colombian National Army military operation in the Montes de María
Montes de María
The Montes de María are a group of mountains of the northern coast of Colombia , which do not belong to the Andes ranges, and the highlands around them. The Montes de María are the last part of the Serranía de San Jerónimo.Montes de María is a zone located in the center of the Colombian...
mountains in the southern regions of the Bolivar Department
Bolívar Department
Bolívar is a department of Colombia. It was named after one of the original nine states of the United States of Colombia. It is located to the north of the country, extending from the coast at Cartagena near the mouth of the Magdalena River, then south along the river to a border with Antioquia.Its...
. Araújo spent several days in hiding without food or water until eventually finding help and then facing the press on January 5, 2007.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Álvaro Uribe
Alvaro Uribe Vélez was the 58th President of Colombia, from 2002 to 2010. In August 2010 he was appointed Vice-chairman of the UN panel investigating the Gaza flotilla raid....
, replacing María Consuelo Araújo
Maria Consuelo Araujo
María Consuelo Araújo Castro is a Colombian politician. In 2006 she was appointed Minister of Foreign Relations of the government of President Álvaro Uribe Vélez...
(no relation to Fernando Araújo) who resigned due to her brother's involvement in the 2006–2007 Colombian para-political scandal. He resigned from the post on July 16, 2008.
Personal life
Araújo is one of the eight children of Alberto Araújo Merlano and Judith Perdomo. Araújo's brothers and sisters are Alberto Ignacio, Liana, Gerardo, Judith Elvira, Carolina, Juan Carlos and Rodrigo.First marriage
Araújo had four sons from his first marriage; Manuel Santiago, Sergio Alejandro, Fernando Nicolás and Luis Ernesto.Second marriage
Araújo's second marriage was with Mónica Yamhure Gossaín. They had been married for only seven months and were planning to have a child when he was kidnapped on December 4, 2000 by the FARC guerrillas. Coincidentally it was on Yamhure's birthday. She left him while he was in captivity and remarried. Araújo found out about this upon his arrival to Cartagena on January 5, 2007 and few hours after being evacuated from the Montes de MaríaMontes de María
The Montes de María are a group of mountains of the northern coast of Colombia , which do not belong to the Andes ranges, and the highlands around them. The Montes de María are the last part of the Serranía de San Jerónimo.Montes de María is a zone located in the center of the Colombian...
jungle mountains in southern Bolivar
Bolívar Department
Bolívar is a department of Colombia. It was named after one of the original nine states of the United States of Colombia. It is located to the north of the country, extending from the coast at Cartagena near the mouth of the Magdalena River, then south along the river to a border with Antioquia.Its...
. He was surprised by her absence after his release and asked his brother about her whereabouts, who told him of her leaving.