Virgilio Barco Vargas

Virgilio Barco Vargas (17 September 1921 – 20

May 1997) was a Colombian politician and civil Virgilio Barco Vargas
engineer who served as the 27th President of
Colombia serving from 7 August 1986 to 7 August
1990.

Contents
Early life
Political career
Presidency
Post-Presidency and death
Popular culture
References
External links

Barco in 1991
Early life 27th President of Colombia
In office
Barco was born in Cúcuta in the Norte de 7 August 1986 – 7 August 1990
Santander Department of Colombia to Jorge
Preceded by Belisario Betancur Cuartas
Enrique Barco Maldonado and Julieta Vargas
Durán. He studied Civil Engineering at Succeeded by César Gaviria
the National University of Colombia and at 20th Colombia Ambassador to the United
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from Kingdom
which he graduated in 1943.[1] He entered politics In office
in 1943 when he became a city council member for 9 November 1990 – 1992
the Liberal Party in the town of Durania. He was
President César Gaviria
then elected to the lower house of Congress, but
went into exile to the US in 1950 because of Preceded by Fernando Cepeda Ulloa
violence between liberals and conservatives. His Succeeded by Luis Prieto Ocampo
daughter, Carolina Barco Isakson (who would
18th Colombia Ambassador to the United States
later become a Colombian politician herself) was
born there. He obtained an M.A. in economics at In office
MIT, where he took classes under Nobel 24 June 1977 – 11 December 1980
prize winners Robert Solow and Paul President Alfonso López Michelsen
Samuelson in 1952. In 1954 he obtained a PhD in
Preceded by Julio César Turbay Ayala
economics from Boston University.[2]
Succeeded by Jorge Mario Eastman Robledo
Barco is the grandson of Colombian 6th Mayor of Bogotá
General Virgilio Barco M., who developed one of
In office
the country's largest oil concessions in 1905.
1966–1969
President Carlos Lleras Restrepo
Political career
Preceded by Jorge Gaitán Cortés
Barco returned to Colombia in 1954 to help Succeeded by Emilio Urrea Delgado
negotiate the peace process which allowed the 15th Minister of Agriculture of Colombia
formation of the National Front between liberals
and conservatives, which lasted two decades. He In office
became a member of the Senate, the upper house 23 April 1963 – 6 October 1963
of Congress in 1958, left to become the
President Guillermo León Valencia
ambassador to Britain in 1961, and returned to
Colombia in 1962. He served another term in the Preceded by Cornelio Reyes Reyes
Senate until 1966, when he was elected mayor of Succeeded by Gustavo Balcázar Monzón
Colombia's capital, Bogotá. He served in that
40th Minister of Finance and Public Credit of
position until 1969, when he became a director of Colombia
the World Bank until 1974. He then served as
In office
ambassador to the United States from 1977 until
7 August 1962 – 5 September 1962
1980.
President Guillermo León Valencia
Preceded by Jorge Mejía Palacio
Presidency
Succeeded by Carlos Sanz de Santamaría
Barco was elected president of Colombia with 58% 8th Colombia Ambassador to the United
of the vote in 1986. He supported anti-poverty Kingdom
programs, renewed dialogue with leftist In office
guerillas and fought drug traffickers. Though he 16 June 1961 – 1962
was popular within the international community,
President Alberto Lleras Camargo
he became less popular in Colombia because the
drug traffickers became more violent after he Preceded by Alfonso López Pumarejo
started to move against them. His restrictive Succeeded by Alfredo Araújo Grau
economic policies at first doomed the country.
52nd Minister of Public Works of Colombia
After two years of this, The Economic Openness
program was initiated by his administration, In office
which would open Colombian markets to the 7 August 1958 – 9 November 1960
world and recharge the country's economy. He President Alberto Lleras Camargo
served one 4-year term.
Preceded by Roberto Salazar Gómez
Succeeded by Misael Pastrana Borrero
Post-Presidency and death
Personal details
When he left the Presidency in 1990, he served as Born 17 September 1921
ambassador to Britain again until 1992. Cúcuta, North Santander,
Colombia
Barco was diagnosed with cancer and he died on
May 20, 1997, in Bogotá when he was 75. He is Died 20 May 1997 (aged 75)
now buried in the Central Cemetery of Bogotá. Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
Resting place Central Cemetery of Bogotá
Popular culture Nationality Colombian
Political party Liberal
Barco is portrayed by the colombian actor
Jorge Zúñiga as the character of Ramiro Spouse(s) Carolina Isakson Proctor
Vargas in TV series Pablo Escobar, The Drug (m. 1950; his death 1997)
Lord. Children María Carolina Barco Isakson
Julia Barco Isakson
References Diana Barco Isakson

1. "Virgilio Barco Vargas". Presidency of the Virgilio Barco Isakson

Republic of Colombia. June 2013. Archived Alma mater National University of
from the original on 2013-10-31.
Retrieved 2014-01-13. Colombia (Lic, 1942)
 Massachusetts Institute of
Technology(MScCE, 1943; PhD 1953)
Boston University(MScS, 1952)

Profession Civil engineer

Website Official website

2. https://www.cidob.org/es/content/pdf/1810. Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links
Biography and tenure of Virgilio Barco by CIDOB