Misael Eduardo Pastrana Borrero (14 November 1923 – 21 August 1997) was a Colombian politician and lawyer who served as the
23rd President of Colombia from 1970 to 1974. He was also the father of the 30th President
Andrés Pastrana Arango
Andrés Pastrana Arango (born 17 August 1954) is a Colombian politician who was the List of presidents of Colombia, 30th President of Colombia from 1998 to 2002, following in the footsteps of his father, Misael Pastrana Borrero, who was presi ...
.
Biography
Personal life
Pastrana was born in
Neiva
Neiva () is the capital of the Department of Huila. It is located in the valley of the Magdalena River in south central Colombia with a population of about 357,392 inhabitants. It is one of the most important cities in southern Colombia, mainly ...
,
Huila.
[Arismendi Posada, Ignacio; ''Gobernantes Colombianos''; trans. Colombian Presidents; Interprint Editors Ltd., Italgraf, Segunda Edición; Page 241; Bogotá, Colombia; 1983]
Pastrana was a Colombian conservative politician, President of Colombia in the period 1970-1974. Born in the home of Misael Pastrana Pastrana and Elisa Borrero Perdomo, studied Law in
Javeriana University
The Pontifical Xavierian University (in Spanish Pontificia Universidad Javeriana) is a private higher education institution founded in 1623. It is one of the oldest, most traditional, and prestigious Colombian universities, directed by the Socie ...
of Bogotá and in the Ferri Institute of
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. He had been affiliated to the Conservative Party (which he would later rename as the Social Conservative Party). He was the private secretary of the President
Mariano Ospina Pérez
Luis Mariano Ospina Pérez (24 November 1891 – 14 April 1976), commonly known as Mariano Ospina Pérez, was a Colombian politician and a member of the Colombian Conservative Party. He served as the 17th President of Colombia between 194 ...
(1949-1952)and three times a minister during the second liberal presidency of
Alberto Lleras Camargo
Alberto Lleras Camargo (3 July 1906 – 4 January 1990) was the 20th President of Colombia (1958–1962), and the 1st Secretary General of the Organization of American States (1948–1954). A journalist and liberal party politician, he also ser ...
(1958-1962).
During the Presidency of Carlos Lleras Restrepo, he was Minister of Government 1966-1968, led in Congress a constitutional reform and was Colombian ambassador in Washington from 1968-1969, when he returned to campaign for the Presidency. President of the Sasakawa United Nations Environment Prize in recognition of his enacting of the world's first Environmental Code for Natural Resources, after his death the UN instituted the yearly Pastrana Borrero Conference in New York during the prize's award ceremony. Vice-president of Worldwide Prize for Peace of UNESCO. Founder of World Center of Computer Science with Jean-Jacques Serban-Schreiber in the seventies, before the personal computer existed. The Center brought in young minds such as Nicholas Negroponte. Founder member of Interaction, group of former heads of state and government to deal with contemporary issues and conflicts and to present recommendations to governments.
Presidency
During his four years in office, Pastrana was cautiously progressive. He sought to increase employment opportunities with a famous four-point strategy. He attempted to boost national savings as a way of moving away from dependency on foreign investment and credit, and he extended pensions rights for many people.
At the same time, he was a champion of "a car for every Colombian family", and was instrumental in bringing the French car-makers
Renault
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...
to Colombia. He also promoted the first national environmental legislation in Latin America.
The end of his four year-term in office came in 1974, which also saw the end of the National Front governments. Pastrana then took on the mantle of the "natural leader" of the Conservative party. He proved unable to hold the different factions of the party together, however, and in consequence there has only been two Conservative presidents since his own term in office.
He died in
Bogotá
Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...
at the age of 73.
Married to
MarÃa Cristina Arango Vega
MarÃa Cristina Arango Vega (15 October 1928 – 15 September 2017) was the First Lady of Colombia from 1970 to 1974 as the wife of the 23rd President of Colombia, Misael Pastrana Borrero. Arango was also the mother of the 30th President Andrà ...
, with whom he had three sons and one daughter. His second son,
Andrés Pastrana Arango
Andrés Pastrana Arango (born 17 August 1954) is a Colombian politician who was the List of presidents of Colombia, 30th President of Colombia from 1998 to 2002, following in the footsteps of his father, Misael Pastrana Borrero, who was presi ...
, who was kidnapped by the
Medellin Cartel while running for mayor of
Bogotá
Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...
, eventually served as president of Colombia from 1998 to 2002.
See also
*
Nohra Puyana Bickenbach
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pastrana Borrero, Misael
1923 births
1997 deaths
Misael
People from Huila Department
Pontifical Xavierian University alumni
20th-century Colombian lawyers
Presidents of Colombia
Ambassadors of Colombia to the United States
Colombian Conservative Party politicians
Ministers of Finance and Public Credit of Colombia
Colombian Ministers of Foment
Colombian Ministers of Government
Deaths from cancer in Colombia