Luis Humberto Gómez Gallo (26 June 1962 − 25 December 2013) was a Colombian

industrial engineer Industrial engineering is an engineering profession that is concerned with the optimization of complex processes, systems, or organizations by developing, improving and implementing integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information a ...

specialized in business administration and constitutional law. A

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

politician, he served as President of the Senate of Colombia where he had been a

Senator 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 ...

from 1994 until 2008 when he was charged and arrested as part of a wider

parapolitica scandal The Colombian parapolitics scandal or "parapolítica" in Spanish (a combination of the words '' paramilitar'' and '' política'') refers to the 2006–present Colombian congressional scandal in which several congressmen and other politicians hav ...

.El segundo tiempo de la parapolítica
/ref>
/ref> He died of a heart attack at the age of 51 on 25 December 2013 in Ibague, Tolima.

Early years

He attended the

Catholic University of Colombia The Catholic University of Colombia is a private institution of higher education. It was founded in Bogotá, Colombia in 1970, notable in its early loyalty to Catholic church doctrine. The institution had more than ten thousand students in Septem ...

graduating in

Industrial engineering Industrial engineering is an engineering profession that is concerned with the optimization of complex process (engineering), processes, systems, or organizations by developing, improving and implementing integrated systems of people, money, kno ...

and did post graduate studies in business administration. He also did post graduate studies at the

Universidad Externado de Colombia The Universidad Externado de Colombia (Externado University of Colombia) is a private university in Bogotá, Colombia. It has produced graduates including lawyers, academics, judges, financiers, journalists, as well as senior government officials a ...

graduating in constitutional law.

Political career

Gomez-Gallo was appointed Secretary of Public Works for the department of Tolima. In 1986 he ran for councilman for a seat in the Council of Ibague for which he was elected for the period 1986-1992 representing the

Colombian Conservative Party The Colombian Conservative Party ( es, Partido Conservador Colombiano) is a conservative political party in Colombia. The party was formally established in 1849 by Mariano Ospina Rodríguez and José Eusebio Caro. The Conservative party along ...

Senator of Colombia (1997−2013)

In 1994 Gómez Gallo ran for

congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

and was elected senator of Colombia. He was then reelected for the 1998, 2002 and 2006 periods. He was president of the senate and

President of the Congress of Colombia The president of the congress of Colombia ( es, Presidente del Congreso de la República de Colombia) is the leader of the Congress of the Republic of Colombia. The Presidency of Congress is assumed by the person elected as President of the Sena ...

for the period between 20 July 2004 and 20 July 2005. He was married to Zulema Jattin Corrales. As senator, Gómez Gallo was President of the First Commission of Congress from 20 July 2003 to 20 July 2004 which debates topics related to Constitutional matters. He was also Vice President for this same commission for two consecutive periods.

Parapolitica scandal

Gómez Gallo was under investigation by the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

after being involved in the

Parapolitica scandal The Colombian parapolitics scandal or "parapolítica" in Spanish (a combination of the words '' paramilitar'' and '' política'') refers to the 2006–present Colombian congressional scandal in which several congressmen and other politicians hav ...

in which politicians mingled with

paramilitary groups A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...

to coerce voters in their favor. He was also investigated for his relationship to drug trafficker

Eduardo Restrepo Victoria Eduardo Restrepo Victoria alias "El Socio" (the Associate) (born September 29, 1958 in Pitalito, Huila) is a Colombian drug trafficker former member of the Norte del Valle Cartel and associate of Wilber Varela. Restrepo was wanted by Colombian au ...

, alias "El Socio". On 10 October 2007, units of the

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

arrested Gómez Gallo in Bogotá after the President of the Penal Chamber of the Supreme Court issued an arrest warrant against him. This after a paramilitary under investigation named José Wilton Bedoya Rayo, alias 'Moisés', from the

Tolima Bloc Tolima may refer to: * Tolima Department of Colombia * Nevado del Tolima, a volcano in Colombia * Deportes Tolima, a Colombian football (soccer) team in the First Division * Tolima State, Colombia, which existed from 1861 to 1869 * Tolima or Pan ...

of the demobilized

United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia The United Self-Defences of Colombia (''Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia'', or AUC, in Spanish) was a Colombian far-right paramilitary and drug trafficking group which was an active belligerent in the Colombian armed conflict during the period ...

accused him of being involved in the assassination of congressman

Pompilio de Jesús Avendaño Pompilio is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Afrânio Pompílio Gastos do Amaral (1894–1982), Brazilian herpetologist *Arsénio Pompílio Pompeu de Carpo (1792–1869), Portuguese slave trader, freemason, poet and journalist * ...

in 2001. According to the paramilitary member, Gómez Gallo paid COP$300 million pesos for the assassination.

References

External links

Congress of Colombia: Senator Gómez-Gallo

ICLRS.org: Gomez-Gallo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gomez Gallo, Luis Humberto 1962 births 2013 deaths People from Ibagué Colombian industrial engineers Colombian Conservative Party politicians Members of the Senate of Colombia Presidents of the Senate of Colombia