Álvaro Colom
Encyclopedia
Álvaro Colom Caballeros (born 15 June 1951) is the President of Guatemala
for the 2008–2012 term and leader of the social-democratic
National Unity of Hope
(UNE).
, the son of Antonio Colom Argueta and Yolanda Caballeros Ferraté, being the fourth of five siblings. His uncle, Manuel Colom, was a mayor of Guatemala City who was killed by the military
in 1979 just after the creation of his political party
was approved. He is also the father of Antonio Colom Szarata, the bass
player of a Guatemalan pop rock band, Viento en Contra. He and his third wife, Sandra Torres
, divorced in 2011.
After gaining a degree as an industrial engineer at the University of San Carlos
(USAC) he became a businessman involved in a variety of businesses, and a government
civil servant, including being the founding General Director of the Fondo Nacional para la Paz and Vice Minister of the Economy before turning to politics.
Representing the UNE (Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza) in the 2003 presidential elections, he lost to Óscar Berger
on December 28, 2003--the closest a left-leaning candidate had come to winning the presidency since democracy was restored in 1985.
on September 9, 2007 along with Partido Patriota candidate Otto Pérez Molina. At 10:00 p.m. local time on election night, Colom was declared the newly elected president by over five percentage points, 52.7% to 47.3%, with over 96% of polling places counted, becoming Guatemala's first left-leaning president in 53 years.
During the presidential campaign, Colom said that he wished to reduce crime by tackling poverty
in Guatemala. Since his election, Colom has made various attempts to put this rhetoric into reality, expanding social programs and access to health, education, and social security, all of which have contributed to a rise in the living standards of the Guatemalan poor.
, a Guatemalan lawyer and father of four, was shot to death. A videotaped message recorded by Rosenberg days before his death claimed that Colom and other high officials were directly responsible for his murder. In an interview with CNN en Español, Colom stated that the accusations made in the video were false. The Guatemalan newspaper Prensa Libre
wrote that the videotape "has created the greatest political crisis for this democracy, because never before has a democratically elected president been accused of murder." On 12 May 2009, thousands of people protested and demanded justice outside the Presidential House. On 13 May 2009, protesters submitted a petition with 35,000 signatures to the Guatemalan congress with the goal of removing Colom's immunity from prosecution.
On January 12, 2010, Carlos Castresana, Director of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala
(the international body in charge of the investigation of the Rosenberg murder), stated the Rosenberg murder was in fact a suicide and that Rosenberg had hired hit men to kill himself. Rosenberg was apparently motivated by his belief that the Colom government was responsible for the earlier murders of his clients, Khalil and Marjory Musa, with whom he also had a personal relationship, and his inability to definitively prove that Colom was behind their murders.
On January 13, 2010, Castresana stated that Rosenberg planned his murder in 20 days, when he decided that there was impunity in Guatemala (referring to the case of Khalil and Marjory Musá) and became depressed over bad administration of his law firm (which later avoided bankruptcy by changing name and administration). Carlos Castresana said that President Colom, the First Lady Sandra Torres and the Private Secretary to the President Gustavo Alejos were cleared of charges, and the link that bonded them to the case was finally broken.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
for the 2008–2012 term and leader of the social-democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
National Unity of Hope
National Unity of Hope
The National Unity of Hope is a political party in Guatemala. It was founded in 2002 and defines itself as a social-democratic and social-Christian party....
(UNE).
Early years
Colom was born in Guatemala CityGuatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
, the son of Antonio Colom Argueta and Yolanda Caballeros Ferraté, being the fourth of five siblings. His uncle, Manuel Colom, was a mayor of Guatemala City who was killed by the military
Military of Guatemala
The Military of Guatemala consists of National Army of Guatemala , the Guatemalan Navy and the Guatemalan Air Force ....
in 1979 just after the creation of his political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
was approved. He is also the father of Antonio Colom Szarata, the bass
Bass violin
Bass violin is the generic modern term used to denote various 16th- and 17th-century forms of bass instruments of the violin family. They were the direct ancestor of the modern cello. Bass violins were usually somewhat larger than the modern cello, but tuned the same or sometimes just one step...
player of a Guatemalan pop rock band, Viento en Contra. He and his third wife, Sandra Torres
Sandra Torres (politician)
Sandra Julieta Torres Casanova is the former First Lady of Guatemala. Along with her ex-husband, President Alvaro Colom Caballeros, she is of Guatemalan nationality, originally from the county of Melchor de Mencos, in the department of Petén...
, divorced in 2011.
After gaining a degree as an industrial engineer at the University of San Carlos
Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala
The Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala It is the biggest and oldest university of Guatemala, also it is the fourth founded in the Americas....
(USAC) he became a businessman involved in a variety of businesses, and a government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
civil servant, including being the founding General Director of the Fondo Nacional para la Paz and Vice Minister of the Economy before turning to politics.
Representing the UNE (Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza) in the 2003 presidential elections, he lost to Óscar Berger
Óscar Berger
Óscar José Rafael Berger Perdomo, born on 11 August 1946 in Guatemala City, is a former President of Guatemala.-Early years:Of Belgian descent, Berger was born to an upper class family with large sugar and coffee holdings...
on December 28, 2003--the closest a left-leaning candidate had come to winning the presidency since democracy was restored in 1985.
2007 election
He was one of the two candidates to reach the second stage of the 2007 presidential electionGuatemalan general election, 2007
A general election was held in Guatemala in two rounds on 9 September and 4 November 2007. Voters went to the polls to elect a new President and Vice President of the Republic, 158 congressional deputies, and 332 mayors.-Results:...
on September 9, 2007 along with Partido Patriota candidate Otto Pérez Molina. At 10:00 p.m. local time on election night, Colom was declared the newly elected president by over five percentage points, 52.7% to 47.3%, with over 96% of polling places counted, becoming Guatemala's first left-leaning president in 53 years.
During the presidential campaign, Colom said that he wished to reduce crime by tackling poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
in Guatemala. Since his election, Colom has made various attempts to put this rhetoric into reality, expanding social programs and access to health, education, and social security, all of which have contributed to a rise in the living standards of the Guatemalan poor.
Rodrigo Rosenberg
On May 10, 2009, Rodrigo RosenbergRodrigo Rosenberg Marzano
Rodrigo Rosenberg Marzano was a Guatemalan attorney. Before his death, Rosenberg recorded a video message saying if he were murdered, Álvaro Colom Caballeros, President of Guatemala, would have been directly responsible. His subsequent killing caused a national uproar...
, a Guatemalan lawyer and father of four, was shot to death. A videotaped message recorded by Rosenberg days before his death claimed that Colom and other high officials were directly responsible for his murder. In an interview with CNN en Español, Colom stated that the accusations made in the video were false. The Guatemalan newspaper Prensa Libre
Prensa Libre
Prensa Libre is a Guatemalan newspaper published in Guatemala City by Prensa Libre, S.A. and distributed nationwide. It was formerly the most widely circulated newspaper in the country and as of 2007 it has the second-widest circulation. It is considered a local newspaper of record. It was founded...
wrote that the videotape "has created the greatest political crisis for this democracy, because never before has a democratically elected president been accused of murder." On 12 May 2009, thousands of people protested and demanded justice outside the Presidential House. On 13 May 2009, protesters submitted a petition with 35,000 signatures to the Guatemalan congress with the goal of removing Colom's immunity from prosecution.
On January 12, 2010, Carlos Castresana, Director of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala
International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala
The International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala is an international body charged with investigating and prosecuting serious crime in Guatemala...
(the international body in charge of the investigation of the Rosenberg murder), stated the Rosenberg murder was in fact a suicide and that Rosenberg had hired hit men to kill himself. Rosenberg was apparently motivated by his belief that the Colom government was responsible for the earlier murders of his clients, Khalil and Marjory Musa, with whom he also had a personal relationship, and his inability to definitively prove that Colom was behind their murders.
On January 13, 2010, Castresana stated that Rosenberg planned his murder in 20 days, when he decided that there was impunity in Guatemala (referring to the case of Khalil and Marjory Musá) and became depressed over bad administration of his law firm (which later avoided bankruptcy by changing name and administration). Carlos Castresana said that President Colom, the First Lady Sandra Torres and the Private Secretary to the President Gustavo Alejos were cleared of charges, and the link that bonded them to the case was finally broken.