Francisco Santos Calderón
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| Francisco Santos | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 7 August 2002 |
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| President | Álvaro Uribe Vélez |
| Preceded by | Gustavo Bell |
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| Born | 14 August 1961 Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia |
| Nationality | Colombian |
| Political party | Colombia First |
| Spouse(s) | María Victoria García |
| Alma mater | University of Kansas University of Texas at Austin |
| Occupation | Journalist, Professor |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Francisco Santos Calderón also known as Pacho Santos born 14 August 1961 in the city of Bogotá, is a Colombian politician and journalist. Santos was elected as Álvaro Uribe's second runner up and became Vice President in the Colombian elections of 2002. Santos was re-elected in the presidential elections of 2006 for a second term once again with President Uribe to continue as Vice President of Colombia.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Kidnapping
In 1990 the Medellín Cartel led by Pablo Escobar kidnapped him to pressure the Colombian government to revert its support of druglords' extraditions to the United States. After his release Santos spent two years at Harvard University's Extension School in the United States.[citation needed]
[edit] Human rights advocate
Upon his return, Santos became an advocate of human rights in Colombia, especially those of victims affected by kidnapping after he himself suffered from this practice. He created the NGO Fundación Pais Libre (Free Country Foundation) with the intentions of advancing awareness and helping the victims and their families.[1]
[edit] Plan Colombia
2007 in an interview for the film documentary The War on Drugs Santos defends Plan Colombia and propagates the relentless use of aerial fumigation as a tool for Coca eradication in Colombia.
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Since 2008, Santos has spoken as part of the Shared Responsibility campaign to raise public awareness of cocaine production's impacts on Colombia's forest biodiversity, including deforestation and chemical contamination. The campaign links cocaine use to environmental destruction.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.sharedresponsibility.gov.co/en/ Shared Responsibility
[edit] External links
- globalsecurity.org - Francisco Santos Calderón
- Fundacion Pais Libre - Quienes somos
- Santos appears in the film documentary The War on Drugs
- Santos Interview on YouTube
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