Gilberto Echeverri Mejía

Gilberto Echeverri Mejía (31 July 1936 - 5 May 2003)[1] was a Colombian electrical engineer, businessman and politician who on 22 April 2002 was kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - FARC-EP along with the then-Governor of Antioquia Guillermo Gaviria Correa among others while participating in a peace walk and held hostage until 5 May 2003 when he was murdered by the guerrillas during a botched rescue operation by government forces deep in the jungles.[2][3][4] A Liberal party politician, he had previously served as Ambassador of Colombia to Ecuador from 1975 to 1977 in the Administration of President Alfonso López Michelsen, Minister of Economic Development from 1978 to 1980 in the Administration of President Julio César Turbay Ayala,[5] Minister of National Defence from 1997 to 1998 in the Administration of President Ernesto Samper Pizano, and was working as peace advisor to Governor Gaviria before he was kidnapped.

Gilberto Echeverri Mejía
Minister of National Defence of Colombia
In office 10 April 1997 – 7 August 1998
President	Ernesto Samper Pizano
Preceded by	Guillermo Alberto González Mosquera
Succeeded by	Rodrigo Hernán Lloreda Caicedo
Governor of Antioquia
In office 28 August 1990 – 31 December 1991
President	César Gaviria Trujillo
Preceded by	Helena Herrán González
Succeeded by	Juan Pablo Gómez Martínez
7th Minister of Economic Development of Colombia
In office 7 August 1978 – 14 May 1980
President	Julio César Turbay Ayala
Preceded by	Diego Moreno Jaramillo
Succeeded by	Andrés Restrepo Londoño
Colombia Ambassador to Ecuador
In office 1975–1977
President	Alfonso López Michelsen
Personal details
Born	(1936-07-31)31 July 1936 Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia
Died	5 May 2003(2003-05-05) (aged 66) Urrao, Antioquia, Colombia
Nationality	Colombian
Political party	Liberal
Spouse(s)	Marta Inés Pérez Mejía (1962-2003)
Children	Lina María Echeverri Pérez, Jorge Ignacio Echeverri Pérez, Carlos Arturo Echeverri Pérez
Alma mater	Pontifical Bolivarian University (BSEE, 1959)
Profession	Electrical Engineer

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Echeverri and the second or maternal family name is Mejía.

Personal life

Gilberto was born on 31 July 1936 in Rionegro, Antioquia[6][7] and was the youngest of twelve children born to José María Echeverri and María Mejía.[7] He finished his secondary education in 1954 at the Pontifical Bolivarian University where he also graduated in 1959 with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering.[6][7] In 1962 he married Marta Inés Pérez Mejía,[7] with whom he had three children: Lina María, Jorge Ignacio, and Carlos Arturo.[6]

Works selected

• Echeverri Mejía, Gilberto (April 2006). Palacios Chamat, Mónica (ed.). Bítacora Desde El Cautiverio [Journal From Captivity] (in Spanish). Medellín: EAFIT University. ISBN 978-958-8173-85-6. LCCN 2006481628. OCLC 133467559. Lay summary (2006-06-05).

See also

• Colombian armed conflict (1964–present)
• Consuelo Araújo Noguera

References

1. Botero, Manuel (2003-05-06). "El Ratón Echeverri" [Mouse Echeverri]. El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2012-02-04.
2. Brodzinsky, Sibylla (2003-05-06). "Colombian rebels execute 10 hostages as army attempts rescue". The Guardian. Bogotá. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
3. Bernbaum, Brian. "Colombian Rebels Kill 10 Hostages". CBS News. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
4. "Uribe defiant after failed rescue". BBC News. 2003-05-06. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
5. González Díaz, Andrés (1982). "Julio César Turbay Ayala". Ministros del siglo XX, Vol. 2 [Minister of the 20th Century, Vol, 2]. Luis Ángel Arango Library. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
6. "Ex ministro Gilberto Echeverri fue un gran hombre" [Former Minister Gilberto Echeverri Was A Great Man]. Caracol Radio (in Spanish). 2003-05-05. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
7. "Gilberto Echeverri no fue el bobo de su casa" [Gilberto Echeverri was not the dumb one in his house]. Revista Semana (in Spanish). 2003-05-12. Retrieved 2012-02-03.