Álvaro Araújo Castro
Encyclopedia
Álvaro Araújo Castro is a Colombian
economist and former actor and Senator of Colombia. A Liberal
politician, and leader of the ALAS-Team Colombia
political movement, he was arrested and jailed in 2007 for participating in parapolitics
. Prior to serving in the Senate, he was also a Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia
from 1994 to 2001.
from the Externado University
in Bogotá
, 27-year old Araújo ran for the Chamber of Representatives
, representing the Liberal Party
and was elected. Two years later, along with his father, he founded a dissident political movement called Alternative for Social Advance (ALAS). After his second term in the Chamber, he ran for the Senate
receiving more than half of his votes from the department of Cesar and Bogotá
, where he got the highest vote for someone from the Caribbean Region
. His movement supported Álvaro Uribe
for the Presidency of Colombia
.
The voter turnout in the Cesar raised suspicion, because of the influence of paramilitary forces in the area. In May 2005, Semana
published an article revealing a possible plan by paramilitary forces to influence elections. The Department of Cesar was divided into two zones, the G-8, formed by 8 municipalities in central Cesar Department where revenues from mining industry are high, and in which Senator Mauricio Pimiento and Representative Jorge Enrique Ramírez got most of their votes, and the G-11, formed mostly by southern municipalities where Representative Miguel Duran Gelvis and Senator Araújo had a high turnout. Araújo responded to these accusations by citing years of hard work politics and his family's influence in the region. He also pointed out that results, like the ones in Tamalameque
where he received more than 70% of the total votes, were easily explained because of the influence of his third runner-up, Ricardo Chajín Florián, who had been Mayor of Tamalameque.
In the Senate, Araújo was a member of the Fifth Commission of the Senate in which he promoted Hydrocarbon
projects and proposed the Mines Code which is cited for duplicating the production of coal in Colombia. He was also a proponent of equal ownership rights for gay couples, and integrating demobilized members of the Cacique Nutibara Bloc
into the Armed Forces of Colombia
if they met certain judicial requisites.
He was temporarily replaced in the Senate from 17 August 2004 to 17 February 2005 by Ricardo Chajín Florián, the third-runner up in his list.
, of having ties with paramilitary groups
headed by the now demobilized paramilitary leader Jorge 40 and his men. The Supreme Court of Colombia
investigated the accusations in what became known as the Parapolitics scandal
, as a result, on 16 February 2007, Araújo was arrested along with other senators for having ties to illegal paramilitary groups.
and extortion
of former Mayor of Valledupar, Elías Ochoa Daza's brother Víctor. He was found guilty of the charges and sentenced to 9 years and 3 months of prison on March 18, 2010.
was Minister of Foreign Affairs
, and Sara Araújo Castro is a journalist.
Colombian people
Colombian people are from a multiethnic Spanish speaking nation in South America called Colombia. Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and are a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians.-Demography:...
economist and former actor and Senator of Colombia. A Liberal
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...
politician, and leader of the ALAS-Team Colombia
Team Colombia
Team Colombia is a conservative political party in Colombia.At the last legislative elections, 10 March 2002, the party won, as one of the many small parties, parliamentary representation. It joined forces with ALAS, another small party, for the 2006 legislative election. In the election of 2006,...
political movement, he was arrested and jailed in 2007 for participating in parapolitics
Parapolitics
Parapolitics is a term for a 2006 scandal involving Colombian politicians and the paramilitary group the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia.It may also refer to a political or political science theory. The term parapolitics has been used independently by several different researchers with...
. Prior to serving in the Senate, he was also a Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia
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:...
from 1994 to 2001.
Career
After graduating as EconomistEconomist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
from the Externado University
Universidad Externado de Colombia
The Universidad Externado de Colombia in Bogotá, Colombia, is a private university which grants 4 and 5 year primary and professional degrees as well as advanced 2-year Magister degrees. Instruction is primarily in Spanish. The dean is Dr...
in Bogotá
Bogotá
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...
, 27-year old Araújo ran for the Chamber of Representatives
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:...
, representing the 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...
and was elected. Two years later, along with his father, he founded a dissident political movement called Alternative for Social Advance (ALAS). After his second term in the Chamber, he 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...
receiving more than half of his votes from the department of Cesar and Bogotá
Bogotá
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...
, where he got the highest vote for someone from the Caribbean Region
Caribbean Region
The Caribbean Region or Caribbean Coast Region is a natural region of Colombia mainly composed of eight Departments located contiguous to the Caribbean. The area covers a total land area of including the San Andres Island Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina in the Caribbean...
. His movement supported 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....
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"...
.
Revista Semana
Semana or Revista Semana is a Colombian-based weekly magazine. It was founded in 1946 by Alberto Lleras Camargo , but was shut down after a controversial cover depicting Cuban leader Fidel Castro.In 1983, journalist Felipe López Caballero re-founded the magazine...
published an article revealing a possible plan by paramilitary forces to influence elections. The Department of Cesar was divided into two zones, the G-8, formed by 8 municipalities in central Cesar Department where revenues from mining industry are high, and in which Senator Mauricio Pimiento and Representative Jorge Enrique Ramírez got most of their votes, and the G-11, formed mostly by southern municipalities where Representative Miguel Duran Gelvis and Senator Araújo had a high turnout. Araújo responded to these accusations by citing years of hard work politics and his family's influence in the region. He also pointed out that results, like the ones in Tamalameque
Tamalameque
Tamalameque is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Cesar.-External links:...
where he received more than 70% of the total votes, were easily explained because of the influence of his third runner-up, Ricardo Chajín Florián, who had been Mayor of Tamalameque.
In the Senate, Araújo was a member of the Fifth Commission of the Senate in which he promoted Hydrocarbon
Hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons from which one hydrogen atom has been removed are functional groups, called hydrocarbyls....
projects and proposed the Mines Code which is cited for duplicating the production of coal in Colombia. He was also a proponent of equal ownership rights for gay couples, and integrating demobilized members of the Cacique Nutibara Bloc
Cacique Nutibara Bloc
The Cacique Nutivara Bloc was a Colombian paramilitary bloc founded by Diego Murillo Bejarano, affiliated with the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia paramilitary umbrella group....
into the Armed Forces of Colombia
Military of Colombia
The Military Forces of Colombia are the armed forces of the Republic of Colombia.-Services:The Military of Colombia consists of:* National Army of Colombia * Colombian National Armada - Marines, Navy and Coast Guard attached* Colombian Air Force...
if they met certain judicial requisites.
He was temporarily replaced in the Senate from 17 August 2004 to 17 February 2005 by Ricardo Chajín Florián, the third-runner up in his list.
Parapolitica scandal
On January 19, 2006 Araújo was first accused by then candidate for Senate Gustavo PetroGustavo Petro
Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego is a Colombian politician of the Political Independent movement Progresistas . As a young man he fought with the 19th of April Movement, which later evolved into the Alianza Democrática M-19. He then became active in newly-established Alianza Democrática M-19...
, of having ties with paramilitary groups
Paramilitarism in Colombia
Paramilitarism in Colombia refers to the origins and activities of far right-wing paramilitary groups in Colombia during the 20th century.Right-wing paramilitary groups are the parties considered to be most responsible for human rights violations in Colombia during the later half of the current...
headed by the now demobilized paramilitary leader Jorge 40 and his men. The Supreme Court of Colombia
Supreme 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...
investigated the accusations in what became known as the 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...
, as a result, on 16 February 2007, Araújo was arrested along with other senators for having ties to illegal paramilitary groups.
Accomplice in kidnapping
Arising from his investigation in parapolitics, Araújo was also formally accused of the kidnappingKidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
of former Mayor of Valledupar, Elías Ochoa Daza's brother Víctor. He was found guilty of the charges and sentenced to 9 years and 3 months of prison on March 18, 2010.
Family
Álvaro was born on 7 November 1967 to Álvaro Araújo Noguera and María Lourdes Castro, and he is married to Sandra Estevao. Of his four siblings, Sergio and Ana María were implicated in the parapolitics scandal, María ConsueloMaria 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...
was 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...
, and Sara Araújo Castro is a journalist.