Nancy Patricia Gutiérrez
Encyclopedia
Nancy Patricia Gutiérrez Castañeda (born 16 October 1963) is a Colombian lawyer and politician. She served as Senator of Colombia and Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia
, having served in both chambers as President.
, was the first elected in 1988 as Mayor
of the Municipality
of Agua de Dios
, Cundinamarca
, representing the political movement Colombia Always
, a movement created within the Colombian Liberal Party
. After finalizing her term in 1990 Gutiérrez Castañeda was appointed Regional Director of the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF) in 1991. She later returned to the political arena when she supported Leonor Serrano for the Governorship of Cundinamarca in 1994. When Serrano was elected she appointed Gutiérrez Castañeda as Secretary of Environment in January 1995, and a year later as Secretary General.
for the legislative elections of 1998.
After a long deliberation process following the corruption scandal that resulted in the resignation of the President of the Chamber of Representatives, Armando Pomárico, Gutiérrez Castañeda was elected by the liberal majority coalition to finish Pomárico's term as President of the Chamber of the Representatives of Colombia, and became on March 30, 2000 the first woman to ever serve as President of the Chamber in the history of Colombia. Although her short presidency ended on July 20, 2000, she terminated the programs her predecessor was accused of, like foreign trips, gasoline allowances for the transportation of congress members, and the payroll discrepancies that so infuriated the public. In 2002 Gutiérrez Castañeda was reelected for another term representing the Colombia Always movement supporting once again Leonor Serrano who ran for a seat in the Senate. In 2004 Colombia Always left the Liberal coalition and joined the ranks of the Radical Change
.
As a Representative, she was a member of the First Constitutional Commission, the Special Commission on Territorial Division, the Commission on Peace, and the Special Commission on Modernization.
of 2006 Gutiérrez Castañeda was elected as Senator of Colombia in representation of Radical Change. Radical Change had made a pact with the coalition of supporters of President Álvaro Uribe
, giving the party the chance to preside the Senate. After an election in Congress against senators Rubén Darío Quintero, Arturo Char, and Miguel Pinedo, Gutiérrez Castañeda was elected President of the Senate of Colombia for the period that began on July 20, 2007.
ordered a preliminary investigation against Senator Gutiérrez while she was President of Congress for her apparent relation to armed right rebel groups in the Colombian parapolitics scandal
that shook the country, and led to the encarceration of various congressmen. The investigations connected Gutierrez with alias "El Pájaro", paramilitary of Cundinamarca, from where she is from Gutiérrez has denied the allegations and any relation with the rebels, citing her investigation as a plot against her. On 17 October 2011 the Office of the Inspector General of Colombia officially dropped the case against Congresswoman Gutiérrez.
Chamber of Representatives of Colombia
The Chamber of Representatives is the lower house of the Congress of Colombia.The Chamber has 166 elected members for four-year terms.-How the Chamber is elected:...
, having served in both chambers as President.
Career
Gutiérrez Castañeda, a lawyer from the Our Lady of the Rosary UniversityOur Lady of the Rosary University
The Universidad del Rosario is a university originally founded on Roman Catholic principles, in 1653 by Fray Cristobal de Torres. Located in Bogotá, Colombia, due to its important place in Colombian history, it is known as "The Cradle of the Republic". It had also a primary and secundary school...
, was the first elected in 1988 as Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the Municipality
Municipalities of Colombia
The Municipalities of Colombia are decentralized subdivisions of the Republic of Colombia. Municipalities make up most of the departments of Colombia with 1,119 municipalities...
of Agua de Dios
Agua de Dios
Agua de Dios is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca....
, Cundinamarca
Cundinamarca Department
- Origin of the name :The name of Cundinamarca comes from Kundur marqa, an indigenous expression, probably derived from Quechua. Meaning "Condor's Nest", it was used in pre-Columbian times by the natives of the Magdalena Valley to refer to the nearby highlands....
, representing the political movement Colombia Always
Colombia Always
The Colombia Always is a national-conservative party in Colombia.At the last legislative elections, 10 March 2002 , the party won, as one of the many small parties, parliamentary representation....
, a movement created within the Colombian Liberal Party
Colombian Liberal Party
The Colombian Liberal Party is a center-left party in Colombia that adheres to social democracy and social liberalism.The Party was founded in 1848 and, together with the Colombian Conservative Party, subsequently became one of the two main political forces in the country for over a century.After...
. After finalizing her term in 1990 Gutiérrez Castañeda was appointed Regional Director of the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF) in 1991. She later returned to the political arena when she supported Leonor Serrano for the Governorship of Cundinamarca in 1994. When Serrano was elected she appointed Gutiérrez Castañeda as Secretary of Environment in January 1995, and a year later as Secretary General.
Representative
In 1997, she resigned from Serrano's administration to postulate herself for the Chamber of Representatives of ColombiaChamber of Representatives of Colombia
The Chamber of Representatives is the lower house of the Congress of Colombia.The Chamber has 166 elected members for four-year terms.-How the Chamber is elected:...
for the legislative elections of 1998.
After a long deliberation process following the corruption scandal that resulted in the resignation of the President of the Chamber of Representatives, Armando Pomárico, Gutiérrez Castañeda was elected by the liberal majority coalition to finish Pomárico's term as President of the Chamber of the Representatives of Colombia, and became on March 30, 2000 the first woman to ever serve as President of the Chamber in the history of Colombia. Although her short presidency ended on July 20, 2000, she terminated the programs her predecessor was accused of, like foreign trips, gasoline allowances for the transportation of congress members, and the payroll discrepancies that so infuriated the public. In 2002 Gutiérrez Castañeda was reelected for another term representing the Colombia Always movement supporting once again Leonor Serrano who ran for a seat in the Senate. In 2004 Colombia Always left the Liberal coalition and joined the ranks of the Radical Change
Radical Change
Radical Change is a conservative liberal political party in Colombia.At the last legislative elections in Colombia on March 12, 2006, the party became one of the most important in the new congress, receiving 15 seats in the lower house and 20 in the upper house...
.
As a Representative, she was a member of the First Constitutional Commission, the Special Commission on Territorial Division, the Commission on Peace, and the Special Commission on Modernization.
Senator
For the legislative electionsColombian legislative election, 2006
On March 12, 2006 Colombians went to the polls to elect Senate and Chamber of Representatives. Presidential primaries were also held for the Liberal Party and the Alternative Democratic Pole.-Senate Members:...
of 2006 Gutiérrez Castañeda was elected as Senator of Colombia in representation of Radical Change. Radical Change had made a pact with the coalition of supporters of President 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....
, giving the party the chance to preside the Senate. After an election in Congress against senators Rubén Darío Quintero, Arturo Char, and Miguel Pinedo, Gutiérrez Castañeda was elected President of the Senate of Colombia for the period that began on July 20, 2007.
Controversies
On April 18, 2008, the Supreme Court of ColombiaSupreme Court of Colombia
The Supreme Court of Colombia in Bogotá is the highest judicial body in civil and penal matters and issues of criminal and civil procedure in Colombia...
ordered a preliminary investigation against Senator Gutiérrez while she was President of Congress for her apparent relation to armed right rebel groups in the Colombian parapolitics scandal
Colombian parapolitics scandal
The Colombian parapolitics scandal or "parapolítica" in Spanish refers to the 2006–present Colombian congressional scandal in which several congressmen and other politicians have been indicted for suspicions of colluding with the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia , a paramilitary group which...
that shook the country, and led to the encarceration of various congressmen. The investigations connected Gutierrez with alias "El Pájaro", paramilitary of Cundinamarca, from where she is from Gutiérrez has denied the allegations and any relation with the rebels, citing her investigation as a plot against her. On 17 October 2011 the Office of the Inspector General of Colombia officially dropped the case against Congresswoman Gutiérrez.