Luis Alfredo Ramos

Infobox_Governor
name= Luis Alfredo Ramos


order=
office= Governor elect
of the
Department of Antioquia
term_start= January 1, 2008
term_end= December 31, 2011
lieutenant=
predecessor= Aníbal Gaviria Correa
successor= Incumbent
order2=
term_start2 =
term_end2 =
predecessor2=
successor2=
birth_date= birth date and age|1948|4|19
birth_place= Sonsón, Antioquia
Colombia
spouse=
profession= lawyer, politician
party=
religion=
footnotes=

Luis Alfredo Ramos Botero (born April 19, 1948 in Sonsón, Antioquia) is a Colombian lawyer and politician. Ramos graduated from the "Universidad de Medellín" and specialized in International Business from Harvard University. His political career began in 1970 as member of the Colombian Conservative Party. He has been municipal councilman, congressman of the chamber of representative of Colombia and senator of Colombia, among other political offices. He is the current elected governor of Antioquia Department after wining in the regional elections of 2007.

Early years

Ramos was born in the municipality and town of Sonsón in the Department of Antioquia on April 19, 1948. Ramos studied law at the "Universidad de Medellín" and specialized in International Business from Harvard University in the United States.

Political career

In 1972 Ramos is appointed head of the Conservative party post that he held for four years until 1976, he was also elected deputy of the Department Assembly of Antioquia for the period of 1974 and 1976. In 1976 was appointed General Controller of Antioquia serving until 1978 when he was appointed Secretary of Finance of the City of Medellín until 1980. [ [http://www.contraloriagdeant.gov.co/1978.htm es icon Controller of Antioquia: Luis Alfredo Ramos] ]

Congressman

Between 1982 and 1990 served as congressman in the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia. In 1990 and 1991 was Senator of Colombia but with the dissolution of Congress by President Cesar Gaviria and the introduction of a Constituent Assembly for a new Constitution Ramos decided not to run again.

Mayor of Medellín

In 1992 Ramos was elected Mayor of Medellín for the period of 1992-1994. Ramos is dubbed the best Mayor in Colombia.

Minister of Foreign Exchange

In 1996 during the Presidency of Ernesto Samper, Ramos was appointed Minister of Foreign Exchange, but due to the Proceso 8000 scandal in which it was made public that drug money belonging to the Cali Cartel financed the presidential campaign of Ernesto Samper, the Conservative party cut all ties with the Liberal administration of Samper and Ramos renounced.

Ambassador to the Organization of American States

After renouncing to his post as minister in the Samper administration, Ramos joined the presidential campaign of Conservative Andres Pastrana for the presidential elections of 1998. Pastrana was elected president and Ramos was appointed Ambassador of Colombia to the Organization of American States (OAS) until 2001.

enator of Colombia 2002-2006

In 2001 Ramos returned to Colombia and postulated himself as candidate for the Senate of Colombia in representation of the Team Colombia political movement. He was elected in the legislative elections of 2002 with more that 230,000 votes. In his inauguration as senator on July 20, 2002 Ramos was elected also President of the Congress of Colombia and the senate. As president of Congress he also inaugurated Alvaro Uribe as President of Colombia.

For the legislative elections of 2006 Ramos decided to join political forces with the Alternative of Social Advancement (ALAS) movement headed by Alvaro Araujo Castro and created the Alas Equipo Colombia political party. The new political party supported the reelection of Alvaro Uribe and most of his policies in congress. Ramos term as senator ended on July 19, 2006. The Alas Equipo Colombia political party crumbled due to the imprisonment of Araujo and other members, involved in the Parapolitica scandal in which politicians colluded with paramilitary groups to coerced voters and opposition candidates to gain political advantage.

Governor of Antioquia

Ramos decided to postulate his name for Governor of the Department of Antioquia in the regional elections of 2007 representing the Alas Equipo Colombia political party. Ramos was elected Governor of the Department of Antioquia on October 28, 2007 obtaining of 99.04% of the voting sites scrutinized 836,526 votes equivalent to 51.73% of the total votes (1,617,065 total votes). Ramos defeated candidate Eugenio Prieto Soto of the "del Movimiento Una Antioquia Nueva", who obtained 579,020 votes. Ramos will be inaugurated as governor on January 1, 2008 for a period of 3 years until December 31, 2011. [ [http://www.elcolombiano.com/proyectos/elecciones2007/candidatos/gobernacion/luisalfredoramos/index.htm es icon El Colombiano: Luis Alfredo Ramos gobernará con todos] ]

References

External links

*es icon [http://www.terra.com.co/elecciones_2006/partidos/10-01-2006/nota271014.html Votebien.com: Luis Alfredo Ramos, 2006]
*es icon [http://www.terra.com.co/elecciones_2002/congreso_2002_2006_2/31-07-2002/nota64239.html Votebien.com: Luis Alfredo Ramos, 2002]