Dagoberto Suárez Melo

Dagoberto Suárez Melo
Governor of Guaviare Department
In office 2010 – December 4, 2010
Preceded by	Oscar López Cadavid
Succeeded by	to be determined
Personal details
Born	?
Died	December 4, 2010 Villavicencio, Meta Department, Colombia
Political party	National Integration Party (PIN)

Dagoberto Suárez Melo (? - December 4, 2010) was a Colombian politician who served as the Governor of Guaviare Department in 2010.^[1]

Suárez's predecessor as the Governor of Guaviare, Oscar López Cadavid, resigned from office due to an investigation over his alleged ties to drug traffickers and Pedro "Cuchillo" Oliveiro Guerrero, a militia leader.^[1][2]

Dagoberto Suárez, a member of the National Integration Party (PIN), was elected Governor of Guaviare in a special gubernatorial election in February 2010.^[1] Suarez garnered 11,777 votes in the election, while his nearest opponent, José Pérez Restrepo of the Colombian Conservative Party, placed second with 7,132 votes.^[3] Liberal candidate Janeth Solano came in a distant third place with 865 votes.^[3] Suárez's election ended twelve consecutive years of Conservative Party rule in Guaviare.^[3]

In the early morning of December 4, 2010, Governor Suárez was fatally injured in a car accident while driving on the road known for potholes from Granada, Meta to San José del Guaviare.^[1] He had been attending a regional forum in Granada on the previous day.^[2]

The accident took place in an area called Los Mangos, a rural section of the municipality of Puerto Concordia in Meta Department.^[1] Suarez suffered severe head injuries in the accident, including a cerebral hemorrhage and inflammation.^[1] He was flown by helicopter to the hospital, where he underwent surgery to relieve pressure to his brain.^[1] According to the director of the Hospital Departamental de Villavicencio, Dagoberto Suárez died during the operation at the age of 35, .^[1] Five of Suarez's bodyguards were treated and released from the hospital.^[2]

Paul Robledo, the deputy justice minister of Guaviare, became the acting governor until a permanent successor could be chosen.^[4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} "Murió el gobernador del Guaviare, Dagoberto Suárez". El Tiempo (Colombia). 2010-12-04. http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/llano/en-grave-estado-de-salud-est-gobernador-del-guaviare_8518620-4. Retrieved 2010-12-27. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Colombian Governor Dies in Traffic Accident". Latin American Herald Tribune. 2010-12-05. http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=380800&CategoryId=12393. Retrieved 2010-12-27. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} Morales, Jhon (2010-02-28). "Con la elección de Dagoberto Suárez Melo, se acabó con la hegemonía conservadora en Guaviare". El Tiempo (Colombia). http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/CMS-7319067. Retrieved 2010-12-27. 
4. ^ "Guaviare sigue sin definir terna para elegir gobernador". El Tiempo (Colombia). 2010-12-13. http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/llano/ARTICULO-WEB-NEW_NOTA_INTERIOR-8587780.html. Retrieved 2010-12-27. 

Persondata
Name	Suarez Melo, Dagoberto
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death	December 4, 2010
Place of death	Villavicencio, Meta Department, Colombia