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

industrial engineer Industrial engineering (IE) is concerned with the design, improvement and installation of integrated systems of people, materials, information, equipment and energy. It draws upon specialized knowledge and skill in the mathematical, physical, an ...

specialized in business administration and constitutional law. A

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 ...

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 Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

from 1994 until 2008 when he was charged and arrested as part of a wider parapolitica scandal. 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 Septembe ...

graduating in

Industrial engineering Industrial engineering (IE) is concerned with the design, improvement and installation of integrated systems of people, materials, information, equipment and energy. It draws upon specialized knowledge and skill in the mathematical, physical, an ...

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

Gómez Gallo was appointed Secretary of Public Works for the

department of Tolima Tolima () is one of the 32 departments of Colombia, located in the Andean region, in the center-west of the country. It is bordered on the north and the west by the department of Caldas; on the east by the department of Cundinamarca; on the ...

. 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 () 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 with the Colombian Liberal Party ...

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 ...

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 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 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 ...

after being involved in the Parapolitica scandal in which politicians mingled with

paramilitary groups A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934. Overview Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...

to coerce voters in their favor. He was also investigated for his relationship to drug trafficker Eduardo Restrepo Victoria, alias "El Socio". On 10 October 2007, units of the

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

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 of the demobilized

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

accused him of being involved in the assassination of congressman Pompilio de Jesús Avendaño in 2001. According to the paramilitary member, Gómez Gallo paid COP$300 million pesos for the assassination.Gómez Gallo profile
iclrs.org. Accessed 23 March 2024.

References

{{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