Alfonso Gómez Méndez
Alfonso Gómez Méndez | |
---|---|
9th Minister of Justice and Law of Colombia | |
Assumed office 13 September 2013 | |
President | Juan Manuel Santos Calderón |
Preceded by | Ruth Stella Correa Palacio |
3rd Attorney General of Colombia | |
In office 3 July 1997 – 3 July 2001 | |
Nominated by | Ernesto Samper Pizano |
Preceded by | Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento |
Succeeded by | Luis Camilo Osorio Isaza |
Colombia Ambassador to Austria | |
In office 1991–1993 | |
President | César Gaviria Trujillo |
Preceded by | Mario Laserna Pinzón |
Succeeded by | Carlos Lemos Simmonds |
Inspector General of Colombia | |
In office 9 March 1989 – 23 November 1990 | |
Nominated by | Virgilio Barco Vargas |
Preceded by | Horacio Serpa Uribe |
Succeeded by | Carlos Gustavo Arrieta Padilla |
Member of the Colombian Chamber of Representatives from Tolima | |
In office 20 July 1986 – 9 March 1989 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Chaparral, Tolima, Colombia | 16 August 1949
Political party | Liberal |
Spouse | Patricia Lara Salive (1989—present) |
Children |
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Alma mater |
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Profession | Lawyer |
Alfonso Gómez Méndez (born 19 August 1949) is the 9th Minister of Justice and Law of Colombia.
Alfonso was born on 19 August 1949 in Chaparral, Tolima.[1] He attended Universidad Externado de Colombia where he graduated in Law in 1971.[2]
On 9 March 1989, the Senate of Colombia elected Gómez to succeed Horacio Serpa Uribe as Inspector General of Colombia. Gómez, who at the time was serving as Chamber Representative, was nominated by President Virgilio Barco Vargas. On 23 November 1990 Gómez resigned citing political pressure; the Deputy Inspector, the Assistant Inspector, the Secretary General, and 23 Delegate Inspectors, all presented their resignation in solidarity with the Inspector General. The backlash from the Senate and others in military and right-wing political circles against Gómez and his department, stemmed from the ruling of the Office of the Inspector General against Army General Jesús Armando Arias Cabrales and Army Colonel Edilberto Sánchez Rubiano for their role during the 1985 Palace of Justice siege.[3][4]
In January 1991, following his resignation as Inspector General, President César Gaviria Trujillo appointed Gómez Ambassador of Colombia to Austria.[5] While in Vienna, Gómez also served as Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
In 1996 Gómez was elected to the International Narcotics Control Board for a five-year term.[6] Shortly after, on 29 May 1997 the Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia elected Gómez to serve as the 3rd Attorney General of Colombia to succeed Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento. Gómez was elected out of a ternary slate presented by President Ernesto Samper Pizano that also included the names of Saturia Esguerra Portocarrero and Manuel Santiago Urueta Ayola.[7][8] In 1998, Board President Hamid Ghodse asked Gómez to step down citing concerns of a possible conflict of interest;[9] Gómez refused this request, but ultimately resigned citing his "extremely tight work schedule".[10]
Selected works
- Gómez Méndez, Alfonso (1998). Delitos Contra la Vida Y la Integridad Personal (in Spanish). Bogotá: Universidad Externado de Colombia. ISBN 9789586163361. OCLC 41871531.
References
- ^ "Ministro de Justicia y el Derecho" (in Spanish). Bogotá: Colombia, Office of the President. 5 September 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
- ^ "Egresado y docente de nuestra Casa de Estudios estará al frente de la cartera de Justicia" (in Spanish). Bogotá: Universidad Externado de Colombia. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
- ^ "Como Respaldo Al Procurador Alfonso Gómez Mñendez Renuncia Masiva en la Procuraduría". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Bogotá. 24 November 1990. ISSN 0121-9987. OCLC 28894254. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
- ^ Gutkin, Steven (22 November 1990). "Attorney General Resigns, Criticizes Colombian President". Bogotá. AP News. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
- ^ "Gómez M., Embajador en Austria". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Bogotá. 19 January 1991. ISSN 0121-9987. OCLC 28894254. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
- ^ Ghodse, Hamid (2008). International Drug Control Into the 21st Century. Aldershot, HAM: Ashgate. p. viii. ISBN 9780754672159. OCLC 191758426. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
- ^ "Gómez Méndez, Fiscal Hasta el Siglo XX". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Bogotá. 30 May 1997. ISSN 0121-9987. OCLC 28894254. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
- ^ "Alfonso Gómez Méndez" (in Spanish). Elección Visible. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
- ^ Reid, Robert H (6 May 1998). "UN Questions Colombian Board Member". AP News. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
- ^ Winfield, Nicole (10 June 1998). "U.N. Drug Board Member Resigns". AP News. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
- 1949 births
- Living people
- People from Chaparral, Tolima
- Colombian people of African descent
- Universidad Externado de Colombia alumni
- Universidad Externado de Colombia faculty
- Colombian lawyers
- Colombian Liberal Party politicians
- Members of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia
- Inspectors General of Colombia
- Ambassadors of Colombia to Austria
- Attorneys General of Colombia
- Ministers of Justice and Law of Colombia
- Colombian politicians