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Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento (29 September 1943 – 18 August 1989) was a Colombian liberal politician and journalist who ran for the Presidency of Colombia on two occasions, the first time for the political movement New Liberalism that he founded in 1979. The movement was an offspring of the mainstream
Colombian Liberal Party The Colombian Liberal Party (; PLC) is a centre to centre-left political party in Colombia. It was founded as a classical liberal party but later developed a more social-democratic tradition, joining the Socialist International in 1999. Th ...
, and with mediation of former Liberal president
Julio César Turbay Ayala Julio César Turbay Ayala (18 June 1916 – 13 September 2005) was a Colombian lawyer and politician who served as the 25th President of Colombia from 1978 to 1982. He also held the positions of Foreign Minister and Ambassador to the United S ...
, Galán returned to the Liberal party in 1989 and sought the nomination for the 1990 presidential election, but was assassinated before the vote took place. Galán declared himself an enemy of the drug cartels and the influence of the mafia in Colombian politics, in this case the main drug cartel being the Medellin Cartel led by
Pablo Escobar Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (; ; 1 December 19492 December 1993) was a Colombian drug lord, narcoterrorist, and politician who was the founder and leader of the Medellín Cartel. Dubbed the "King of Cocaine", Escobar was one of the wealthie ...
and who unsuccessfully tried to become a member of the New Liberalism Movement in his bid to become a member of the Colombian House of Representatives. Galán denounced Pablo Escobar in a public rally, and supported the extradition treaty with the U.S, contrary to the wishes of the Colombian cartels that feared extradition to the U.S. After receiving several death threats, on 18 August 1989, Galán was shot and killed by hitmen hired by the drug cartels of
Pablo Escobar Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (; ; 1 December 19492 December 1993) was a Colombian drug lord, narcoterrorist, and politician who was the founder and leader of the Medellín Cartel. Dubbed the "King of Cocaine", Escobar was one of the wealthie ...
during a campaign rally in the town of
Soacha Soacha is an autonomous municipality of the department of Cundinamarca in Colombia, and part of the Metropolitan Area of Bogotá. It has an important industrial zone and is home to mostly working-class families. Soacha borders Bojacá and Mosq ...
, Cundinamarca. At the time, he was comfortably leading the polls with 60 percent favourable ratings for the forthcoming 1990 presidential election. While the investigation into his assassination remains unsolved, Galan's assassination was a crucial factor in the downfall of the Medellin Cartel a few years later.


Biography


Early life

Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento was born on 29 September 1943 in the city of Charala, Santander. He had a happy childhood, with strong family bonds, affectionate and sometimes austere, as he had 12 siblings. His father moved with the whole family to
Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...
in 1949. In Bogotá, Galán attended middle school in the ''Colegio Americano'' in 1950. While a student there and only 8 years old, he joined a rally against
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
president
Laureano Gómez Laureano Eleuterio Gómez Castro (20 February 1889 – 13 July 1965) was a Colombian politician and civil engineer who served as the 18th President of Colombia from 1950 to 1953. In November 1951 poor health led him to cede presidential pow ...
and intended to support the Liberal guerrillas.Revista Semana: Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento (1943–1989)
'' Revista Semana''. (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 August 2007.
Two years later he was transferred to another school, the ''Colegio Antonio Nariño''. When he was only a 14-year-old, Galán participated in the students protests of 1957 against the dictatorial regime of Gustavo Rojas, being arrested and spending the night in a jail despite his young age.
Luis Angel Arango Library: Galan Sarmiento, Luis Carlos] Luis Angel Arango Library. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
In 1960 Galán graduated from high school with honors and began studies of law and economics in the
Pontifical Xavierian University The Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (English: Xavierian Pontifical University) is a private university in Colombia founded in 1623. It is one of the oldest and most traditional Colombian universities, directed by the Society of Jesus, with its ...
in Bogotá. While a student in 1963, Galán founded ''Vértice'', a university focused magazine to express his Liberal tendencies in a university that was predominantly Conservative, which also became his first experience with journalism. He was able to meet prominent Colombian leaders like former Liberal president Carlos Lleras (who, delighted with Galán's work, decided to write articles for Vértice Magazine) and Colombia's main circulation newspaper El Tiempo owner and also former Liberal president of Colombia Eduardo Santos during an interview in which Santos was impressed by Galán's journalist qualities. Galán began working for the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo in 1965 after graduating from university the same year.


Journalism

While working with El Tiempo, Galán turned himself into a well known journalist and columnist, an effort that earned him the director's assistant position and later the membership of the Executive Directorate in the newspaper with the support of Eduardo Santos and then director Roberto García Peña. He was also active with the Nueva Frontera weekly magazine founded by former president Carlos Lleras, which he directed in 1976 after arriving from Italy. As a journalist Galán wrote no less than 150 editorial articles, followed by another 150 during his time with the El Tiempo newspaper. In 1977 Galán wrote an article in one of Nueva Frontera's editorials denouncing the existence of
narcotics trafficking The illegal drug trade, drug trafficking, or narcotrafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of drug prohibition, prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibitionism, prohibit trade, exce ...
mafias and that they were influencing the social structure of Colombia. He also denounced the clientelist politics, moral values corruption and collective values loss, which was seen as a premonition for Colombia's future. Revista Semana: Luis Carlos Galán
'' Revista Semana''. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
It was during an interview with the then recently elected president Misael Pastrana that he was surprised by the president in the middle of the interview who told Galán that he was going to be his Minister of Education. In 1986, Galán wrote an autobiography under the pseudonym "Cleo Tilde", but it was not until 1994 that the identity was revealed. He described detailed facts, events and encounters with prominent figures as well as an approach to his personal point of view and thoughts. Revista Semana: Galán por Galán
'' Revista Semana''. Retrieved 28 August 2007.


Political career

In 1970 Galán was appointed Minister of National Education during the presidency of Misael Pastrana. His time as minister was marked by his progressive and social policies, but was not considered successful. In 1972 Galán was appointed Ambassador of Colombia to Italy and later in 1974 while still ambassador, was appointed Colombian representative to the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates t ...
(FAO). Under the influence of former president Lleras and after directing the Nueva Frontera Magazine for seven years, in 1976 Galán ran for councilman in the small town of Oiba in the northeastern department of Santander. In 1977 and 1978 Galán became very active and supportive of Carlos Lleras reelection as president of Colombia while he ran for the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. The reelection never occurred, however, and he got elected as Senator of Colombia representing the Santander Department. On 30 November 1979 Galán founded a party with the name Nuevo Liberalismo and within the
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
. During the 1980s Colombia went under critical siege by violent
drug cartel A drug cartel is a criminal organization composed of independent drug lords who collude with each other in order to improve their profits and dominate the illegal drug trade. Drug cartels form with the purpose of controlling the supply of the i ...
s, especially the
Medellín Cartel The Medellín Cartel () was a powerful and highly organized Colombian drug cartel and terrorist organization originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia, that was founded and led by Pablo Escobar. It is often considered to be the first major ...
that had gained a great amount of influence by bribing or killing officials. Galán saw this as disastrous for Colombia and its society. In 1980 Galán was elected as councilman for the capital,
Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...
to be named the following year as possible candidate for the presidency of Colombia amid divisions in the Liberal Party that intended to challenge the majorities of the party led by Alfonso López Michelsen and then president Julio César Turbay, but voters leaned for the
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
candidate
Belisario Betancur Belisario Betancur Cuartas (4 February 1923 – 7 December 2018) was a Colombian politician who served as the List of Presidents of Colombia, 26th President of Colombia from 1982 to 1986. He was a member of the Colombian Conservative Party. His ...
. For Galán it had been a positive outcome despite losing, his party Nuevo Liberalismo had gained a 10% of the total votes, winning 21 of the 23 Department Assemblies and getting reelected as Senator, but he had been criticised by the Liberal party for creating divisions among them and indeed losing the Presidency. In 1982 Medellin Cartel boss
Pablo Escobar Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (; ; 1 December 19492 December 1993) was a Colombian drug lord, narcoterrorist, and politician who was the founder and leader of the Medellín Cartel. Dubbed the "King of Cocaine", Escobar was one of the wealthie ...
tried to infiltrate Galán's Nuevo Liberalismo Party. Galán publicly rejected him in front of thousands of his fellow men from Antioquia and Colombia, which angered the cartel, especially Escobar.The New York Times: The Autumn of the Drug Lord
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
Galán continued with his ascendant career, absenting himself from the 1986 presidential race to prevent Liberal Party divisions and running his party as an offspring he was reelected once again as a Senator. This allowed the Liberal Party to regain the Presidency with the election of Virgilio Barco but at a terrible cost for his party that lost 50% of the votes gained in the previous election. Revista Semana: La esperanza trunca
'' Revista Semana''. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
It was only until the mediation of former president Julio César Turbay that Galán returned to the party in 1987 and intended to win the party nomination for official candidate. Galán was growing impatient with the violence and the corruption the drug cartels led by Pablo Escobar and Gonzalo Rodríguez were imposing in Colombia, which encouraged him to try to support the weakening government by shifting the balance of power away from his dangerous enemies. The Nuevo Liberalism joined the government and was given the Ministry of Agriculture headed by Gabriel Rosas Vega, and the Liberal Party gained a solid union that consolidated further when Galán won the Liberal Party's popular nomination to be the presidential frontrunner. Galán was becoming popular for his open criticism and denunciation of drug cartel violence, as he had promised to extradite drug dealers to the United States. He announced he would run for office on 4 July 1989 in the Tequendama Hotel in Bogotá. After this announcement, his popularity rating skyrocketed to 60%. Meanwhile, Escobar found some support in Tolima's political chief Alberto Santofimio, affiliated also with a faction of the Liberal Party led by Alfonso López Michelsen and with a movement called ''Movimiento de Renovación Liberal'' (Liberal Renovation Movement), getting himself elected to the Chamber of Representatives as second runner up for Santofimios' congress candidate Jairo Rojas.


Death

According to accounts the first assassination threats were calls made to Galán's home telephone number after the Liberal Party convention to nominate an official candidate. Flyers were left in the mailbox threatening to kill or kidnap his children. An attempt to kill Galán with an
RPG RPG may refer to: Military * Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon **''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...
was thwarted while visiting
Medellín Medellín ( ; or ), officially the Special District of Science, Technology and Innovation of Medellín (), is the List of cities in Colombia, second-largest city in Colombia after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia Departme ...
on 4 August 1989. The assassination attempt was prevented by men working for Waldemar Franklin Quintero, the commander of the Colombian National Police in Antioquia. Accompanying Quintero and Galán was the mayor of Medellín, Pedro Pablo Peláez; both Peláez and Quintero would be killed within a few weeks of the assassination attempt. After these assassinations, Galán and his family restricted their travels, especially at night. Revista Semana: ¿Que se sabe?
'' Revista Semana''. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
Later on, Galán's staff received information from the Colombian intelligence services advising him of a group of hitmen staying in
Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...
that had the intention of killing him. His staff advised him not to travel to the town of
Soacha Soacha is an autonomous municipality of the department of Cundinamarca in Colombia, and part of the Metropolitan Area of Bogotá. It has an important industrial zone and is home to mostly working-class families. Soacha borders Bojacá and Mosq ...
and that the trip to
Valledupar Valledupar () is a city and municipality in northeastern Colombia. It is the capital of Cesar Department. Its name, ''Valle de Upar'' (Valley of Upar), was established in honor of the Amerindian cacique who ruled the valley; ''Cacique Upar''. The ...
was more suitable since he was also scheduled to travel to nearby
Barranquilla Barranquilla () is the capital district of the Atlántico department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean region of Colombia, Caribbean coast region; as of 2018, it had a popul ...
to attend a
1990 FIFA World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial Association football, football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event for a second ...
qualification match in which the Colombian national team was going to play. However, Galán changed his mind and ordered his staff to prepare to go to Soacha. On 18 August 1989, Galán, who was being protected by eighteen armed bodyguards, was killed as he walked onto the stage to give a speech in front of 10,000 people in Soacha. At least ten others were wounded in the gunfire. This created a war that both sides did not want, one side being the Colombian Government and the other The Extraditables. Both sides saw deaths at a record toll. The Colombian drug cartels were worried about the possible approval in congress of an extradition treaty with the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, and political enemies had feared Galán's increasing power would isolate many of them from the voters. According to John Jairo Velásquez a.k.a. "Popeye" and Luis Carlos Aguilar a.k.a. "El Mugre", former hitmen of Pablo Escobar, the assassination was planned in a farm by Escobar, Gonzalo Rodríguez a.k.a. "El Mexicano", Liberal political leader Alberto Santofimio and others. Velásquez affirmed that Santofimio had certain influence over Escobar's decision making, and he had heard Santofimio say "kill him Pablo, kill him!". Fuerza Aérea Colombiana: Histórico llamado a juicio a ex senador Alberto Santofimio por homicidio de Luis Carlos Galán
fac.mil.co. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
Santofimio told Escobar that if Galán became president, he would extradite Escobar to the United States. Other potential perpetrators were mentioned by a demobilized member of the AUC paramilitary group, "Ernesto Baez", who testified that the murder of Galán was organized by the Colombian mafia with the participation of corrupt members of the
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
and the DAS. El Tiempo: Alianza de militares, mafia y DAS decidió asesinato de Luis Carlos Galán, afirmó Ernesto Báez
eltiempo.com. Retrieved 28 August 2007.


Aftermath

César Gaviria César Augusto Gaviria Trujillo ( ; born 31 March 1947) is a Colombian economist and politician who served as the President of Colombia from 1990 to 1994, Secretary General of the Organization of American States from 1994 to 2004 and National D ...
, who had been Galán's debate chief ("Jefe de Debate") during the campaign, was proclaimed as his successor by Galán's family and his supporters inside the Liberal party. He was elected president in 1990. In 2004, new information in a letter written by one of the hitmen who had infiltrated his escort suggested that Galán's assassination was executed with help of corrupt Colombian policemen and some of his own bodyguards, who had been bought off by the drug cartels, including
Pablo Escobar Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (; ; 1 December 19492 December 1993) was a Colombian drug lord, narcoterrorist, and politician who was the founder and leader of the Medellín Cartel. Dubbed the "King of Cocaine", Escobar was one of the wealthie ...
and other drug lords. Most of the arrested presumed hitmen were killed in jail or shortly after their release, allegedly to silence them. On 13 May 2005, a former Justice minister (1974) and congressman of the
Colombian Liberal Party The Colombian Liberal Party (; PLC) is a centre to centre-left political party in Colombia. It was founded as a classical liberal party but later developed a more social-democratic tradition, joining the Socialist International in 1999. Th ...
, Alberto Santofimio, known for his open connections to
Pablo Escobar Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (; ; 1 December 19492 December 1993) was a Colombian drug lord, narcoterrorist, and politician who was the founder and leader of the Medellín Cartel. Dubbed the "King of Cocaine", Escobar was one of the wealthie ...
during the 1980s (Escobar joined Santofimio's political movement), was arrested in
Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
and accused of being the intellectual author of Galán's murder. According to the newly extended confession of Escobar's former top hitman, John Jairo Velasquez (also known as "Popeye"), Santofimio would have openly suggested Galán's murder during a secret meeting, in order to eliminate a political rival and, should Galán ever be elected president, also prevent Escobar's likely extradition. Santofimio had been previously questioned and mentioned during the investigation and his involvement was widely rumored, but apparently no direct testimonies of his role had been acquired until recently. Velásquez, who served a 23-year sentence and died in 2020, told the Colombian press that he had initially denied Santofimio's participation due to his existing political power at the time. Other new and unspecified evidences would also have contributed to building the case against Santofimio. On 11 October 2007, Alberto Santofimio was convicted to 24 years in prison. He was later released on appeal in 2008, but in August 2011 the Supreme Court reinstated the conviction and he surrendered himself. On 25 November 2010 Colombian prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for the ex-director of the Colombian security agency (DAS), Retired Gen.
Miguel Maza Márquez General Miguel Alfredo Maza Márquez (born 1942 in Santa Marta, Magdalena) is a retired Colombian general, who was director of the Administrative Department of Security (DAS) from 1985 to 1991. On May 30, 1989, a bombing attempt on his life ...
, for involvement in Galán's murder. The prosecutors claimed that Maza intentionally lightened Galán's bodyguard contingent to enable his assassination.The Miami Herald : Colombian ex-police chief charged in killing
''The Miami Herald''. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
The
Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
convicted Maza in 2016 and sentenced him to 30 years in prison.


Family

Son of Mario Galán Gómez and Cecilia Sarmiento Suárez, Galán was one of their 12 children, the others being: María Lucía, Gabriel, Cecilia, Helena, Elsa, Gloria, Antonio, Juan Daniel, Mario Augusto, Francisco Alberto and María Victoria Galán Sarmiento. He was cousin of former Attorney General of Colombia Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento. In 1971 he married journalist Gloria Pachón Castro and had three children
Juan Manuel Don (honorific), Don Juan Manuel (5 May 128213 June 1348) was a Spanish medieval writer, nephew of Alfonso X of Castile, son of Manuel of Castile and Beatrice of Savoy (died 1292), Beatrice of Savoy. He inherited from his father the great Lordshi ...
, Claudio Mario and Carlos Fernando. Caracol Radio: Hijo de Luis Carlos Galán propone la legalización de la droga
caracol.com.co. Retrieved 28 August 2007.


Quotes

Galán was largely influenced by
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (; 1 May 1881 – 10 April 1955) was a French Jesuit, Catholic priest, scientist, palaeontologist, theologian, and teacher. He was Darwinian and progressive in outlook and the author of several influential theologi ...
's ideas and
Nikos Kazantzakis Nikos Kazantzakis (; ; 2 March (Old Style and New Style dates, OS 18 February) 188326 October 1957) was a Greeks, Greek writer, journalist, politician, poet and philosopher. Widely considered a giant of modern Greek literature, he was nominate ...
's books. His father Mario described him as a person fascinated with spirituality, a man with integrity, an individual struggle for knowing one's self between good and evil and that the effort to achieve it consisted in the main objective in life, not only individually, but collectively. «La sensibilidad social del autor, el hombre integral que buscaba y la lucha interna que Kazantzakis padeció y soportó a través de su vida entre el ángel y la bestia, entre la naturaleza interior y superior del hombre, entre el mundo pasional y el espíritu, lo fascinaban dice su padre- la búsqueda de esa trascendencia espiritual y el esfuerzo para realizarlo constituía para Luis Carlos el objetivo de la vida, no solamente en lo individual sino también en lo colectivo». - Luis Carlos Galán – Revista Vértice, May 1964. -Galán's campaign slogan


Popular culture

* Galán is portrayed by actor Nicolás Montero in the Colombian TV series '' Escobar, el Patrón del Mal''. Montero also portrays Galán in TV Series '' Football Dreams, a world of passion''. * In TV series ''
Tres Caínes ''Los Tres Caínes'' (The 3 Cain and Abel, Cains) is a 2013 Spanish-language TV Series produced by RTI Producciones for Colombia-based television network RCN TV and United States–based television network MundoFox. Based on the story of the Colom ...
'', Galán is portrayed in a minor role by the colombian actor Walter Luengas. * Galán is portrayed by actor Juan Pablo Espinosa on the 2015
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
drama/action series '' Narcos''. The show is a serialized take on drug kingpin
Pablo Escobar Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (; ; 1 December 19492 December 1993) was a Colombian drug lord, narcoterrorist, and politician who was the founder and leader of the Medellín Cartel. Dubbed the "King of Cocaine", Escobar was one of the wealthie ...
(played by Brazilian actor Wagner Moura) and the
Medellín Cartel The Medellín Cartel () was a powerful and highly organized Colombian drug cartel and terrorist organization originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia, that was founded and led by Pablo Escobar. It is often considered to be the first major ...
. * Galan appears as a prominent figure in Ingrid Rojas Contreras's debut novel ''Fruit of the Drunken Tree''. The protagonist, observant Chula Santiago, is seven years old when her mother Alma takes her and her sister to the fateful Galan rally. Alma was a fervent supporter of Galan, and the assassination is the first interaction Chula had with death, and it touches her deeply.


See also

*
Luis Donaldo Colosio Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta (; 10 February 1950 – 23 March 1994) was a Mexican politician, economist, and Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) President of Mexico, presidential candidate, who was assassinated at a campaign rally in Tiju ...
, candidate of the Mexican Institutional Revolutionary Party, assassinated in 1994. * Jorge Eliecer Gaitán, a similar Colombian Liberal Party candidate assassinated in 1948. * Assassination of Fernando Villavicencio * List of unsolved murders


References and notes


External links


Spanish Language News Report on the hitman letter
*
Another video of the assassination
(Requires QuickTime) {{DEFAULTSORT:Galan Sarmiento, Luis Carlos 1943 births 1989 deaths 20th-century Colombian journalists Ambassadors of Colombia to Italy Representatives of Colombia to the Food and Agriculture Organization Assassinated Colombian politicians Burials at Central Cemetery of Bogotá Colombian Liberal Party politicians Ministers of national education of Colombia Deaths by firearm in Colombia Filmed assassinations Colombian male journalists Members of the Senate of Colombia New Liberalism (Colombia) politicians People from Bucaramanga People murdered by Colombian organized crime People murdered in Colombia Unsolved murders in South America Pontificia Universidad Javeriana alumni 1989 murders in Colombia 1989 murders in South America Galán family South American politicians assassinated in the 1980s Politicians assassinated in 1989