Héctor Abad Gómez (1921 – August 25, 1987) was a Colombian medical doctor, university professor, and human rights leader who founded the Colombian National School of Public Health. He developed practical public health programs for the poor in

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 ...

, where he particularly advocated for quality water, vaccinations, and human rights for the poor. He was characterised by his

humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humanism" ha ...

views. Abad is known for saying "the murderers don't know how to do: to use words to express the truth – a truth that will last longer than their lie." For his views and perceived leftist ideas, Abad was murdered in August 1987 by paramilitary groups.

Early life and education

Héctor Abad Gómez was born in 1921 in Jericó,

Antioquia Department Antioquia () is one of the 32 departments of Colombia, located in the central northwestern part of Colombia with a narrow section that borders the Caribbean Sea. Most of its territory is mountainous with some valleys, much of which is part o ...

, as the eldest of five children. His father was a

merchant A merchant is a person who trades in goods produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Merchants have been known for as long as humans have engaged in trade and commerce. Merchants and merchant networks operated i ...

and

amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

who held liberal ideas. The family relocated to Seville, Valle del Cauca during the 1930s crisis in Colombia. In Seville, Abad attended the General Santander Educational Institution whose director was

José María Velasco Ibarra José María Velasco Ibarra (19 March 1893 – 30 March 1979) was an Ecuadorian politician. He became president of Ecuador five times, in 1934–1935, 1944–1947, 1952–1956, 1960–1961, and 1968–1972, and only in 1952–1956 he complete ...

, former

President of Ecuador The president of Ecuador (), officially called the constitutional president of the Republic of Ecuador (), serves as the head of state and head of government of Ecuador. It is the highest political office in the country as the head of the exec ...

who was in exile in Colombia. Velasco Ibarra greatly influenced Abad, who was exposed to European ideas. He first social activist work was in 1938 when he organised a strike with five students against admission exams for entrance into university. At 18 years old, his family moved to Medellín, just north of Jericó, where Abad entered the School of Medicine at the University of Antioquia (UdeA). He had become interested in social medicine due to him witnessing the death of children from

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria, bacterium ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild Course (medicine), clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs a ...

. As a student since secondary school, Abad worked as a journalist for the literary magazine ''Simiente''. As a student at UdeA, he founded with several other classmates the

student newspaper A student publication is a media outlet such as a newspaper, magazine, television show, or radio station Graduate student journal, produced by students at an educational institution. These publications typically cover local and school-related new ...

''U-235'' in 1945. His advocacy for improved healthcare led to him being branded a "

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

". After the death of a classmate and neighbours from

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...

, Abad initiated a debate on Colombia's poor water quality through ''U-235.'' This led to opening a campaign for improved water quality with the municipal council. The topic of water quality was used in his undergraduate thesis "Some considerations on Public Health in the Department of Antioquia" (). Abad pursued further education in 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 ...

at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

, where he specialised in public health and received his

Master of Public Health The Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH), Master of Medical Science in Public Health (MMSPH) and the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), International Masters for Health Leadership (IMHL) are interdisciplinary profes ...

in 1948.

Political advocacy and assassination

In 1987, Abad became a pre-candidate 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 ...

for

Mayor of Medellín This is a list of mayors of Medellín, Colombia. Ordinary mayors of Villa de la Candelaria Until 1863, the administrator of Medellin was known as the Ordinary Mayor of Villa de la Candelaria de Medellín. * José Zapata y Múnera * Tomás Ibarr ...

for the 1988 election. He was also the president of the Human Rights Committee in Antioquia from 1982 to his death. Abad voiced his views and denouncement of socioeconomic inequality and violence in Colombia through the radio, and was also a columnist for El Mundo and El Tiempo. In August 1987, the number of professors and students at the UdeA increased, mainly at the direction of

Carlos Castaño Gil Carlos Castaño Gil (16 May 1965 – 16 April 2004) was a Colombian paramilitary leader who was a founder of the Peasant Self-Defenders of Córdoba and Urabá (ACCU), a far-right paramilitary organisation in Colombia and a former member of the ...

and his paramilitary groups. Along with 22 others, Abad was on a death list by the paramilitaries. On 13 August 1987, Abad helped organise with , and the 'March of the Red Carnations'. The march consisted of 3,000 students and professors from the UdeA, who protested against the systematic violence against students and professors who sympathised with leftish ideas. All four men were killed by the end of August: Valencia was shot on the 14th, and Vélez, Betancur and Abad on the 25th. Following Valencia's death, Abad demanded action from the authorities against violence committed by paramilitary groups. The violence did not stop. Vélez was murdered around 7:30 a.m. by a paramilitary group on 25 August 1987 in front of the headquarters of the Association of Teachers of Antioquia (ADIDA) in

. Through the Human Rights Committee, Abad issued a statement of repudiation. After 5 p.m., Abad and Betancur walked to the Casa del Maestro for Vélez's wake. However, Vélez's body had already been moved. Subsequently, two hitmen arrived on a motorbike and shot at Abad six times at the building's door. Betancur was killed in the kitchen. Following his death, Abad's son Héctor fled back to

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

for fear of his own life.

Personal life

Abad was married to Cecilia Faciolince García. Together they had five daughters - Mariluz, Clara, Eva, Marta and Sol - and one son - Héctor. At age 16, Marta died of

melanoma Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer; it develops from the melanin-producing cells known as melanocytes. It typically occurs in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye (uveal melanoma). In very rare case ...

, deeply affecting Abad and strengthening his sense of

social justice Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...

. Abad enjoyed growing and cultivating roses.

El olvido que seremos (2006; t. Oblivion: A Memoir)

"Oblivion: A Memoir" by Héctor Abad Faciolince, is a memoir written about the author's father, Hector Abad Gomez. It discusses the life and the circumstances of Gomez's murder by paramilitaries. Ashley McNelis from the ''Bomb'' Magazine, describes the book as "...an honest and thorough reflection on a man's life from his son's perspective that also considers the private sphere of the family and the political turbulence in Colombia in the 1980s."

Literary works

* Manual de tolerancia (1988)Palabras de una vida decorosa
Retrieved 27 January 2016.

References