Camilo Gonzalez

Camilo Gonzalez Posso (b. 1947) is a Colombian chemical engineer, historian, economist and political activist. He began his career as a teacher at different universities in Cali and Bogotá, Colombia, including the National University of Colombia, remaining at the academy for more than 20 years.

Gonzalez is the author of several books on political theory and Colombian economy, including "Colombian History - 20th Century" ("Historia de Colombia - Siglo XX"), "Popular Participative Planning" ("Planeación participativa popular"), "Social Security Reforms (Health, Pensions and Professional Risks Politics)" ("Reformas a la seguridad social (politicas en salud pensiones y riesgos profesionales)"), "The End of Neo-liberalism (Neo-structuralism and Alternative Development)" ("El fin del neoliberalismo (neoestructuralismo y desarrollo alternativo)") and "Constitution and Democracy" ("Democracia y constitución"), among others.

Gonzalez is the promoter, founder and president of several Colombian political parties such as the 1968 Socialist Block (Bloque socialista), the 1975 Socialist Party of the Workers (Partido socialista de los trabajadores), the 1989 Democratic Alliance M-19 (AD-M19). He also co-founded the Independent Democratic Pole (Polo Democratico Independiente) in 2002.

He has collaborated on several peace processes both within and outside Colombia. Between 1975 and 1981 he participated with the International Fourth, collaborating with revolutionary movements in Nicaragua, Peru, Brazil, France and Poland. From 1984 he took part in peace negotiations involving the guerrilla organizations in Colombia, working as Carlos Pizarro's successor to negotiate demobilization of the M19 guerrillas. He served as negotiator for the accord of the Constitutional Assembly of 1991. He was also one of the coordinators of the Mandate for Peace, which received 10 million votes in 1997 and called for a peace initiative seeking social justice and an end to civil war in Colombia. [ [http://www.mamacoca.org/foro%20legal/cdi_en.htm Impulse Committee: Independent Global Commission to Assess Drug Policies] ]

Gonzalez was elected Minister of State for Health under Cesar Gaviria's government. Currently he is the president of INDEPAZ, the Institute for Peace and Development ("Instituto de estudios para el desarrollo y la paz"). [ [http://www.indepaz.org.co INDEPAZ home page (Spanish)] ]

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