People's Profiles

Profile of Samuel Moreno

Samuel Moreno Rojas is undoubtedly one of the men poised to rule over the destinies of the city.

His youth contrasts with the seniority of his extensive experience as a congressman, lawyer and training pública.Esa training originates in the great social work of his grandfather, former President Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, through the leadership example of their parents, Maria Eugenia Rojas, Samuel Moreno Diaz, his brother, former minister, former mayor and now Senator Ivan Moreno, and was strengthened in his 15 years of service to country, from the Senate.

Among many achievements, this draft law which has allowed the participation of women in high offices of state.

He led the discussions of the Telecommunications Act now allows citizens to communicate easily from all cities, towns and villages in Colombia.

He was the author of several environmental projects to improve the quality of life of citizens, as the preservation of watersheds, or the Environmental Pollution, aimed at controlling the noise in cities to protect the hearing of citizens, the creation of Forest Bank, and solar energy, which will develop this service in the future, with discounts of 50% in energy tariffs.

He led discussions on Mobile Phones, which said the expansion plans of social telephony to more remote municipalities and strengthened the laws that increased the programs of the Open University and Distance "UNAD.

He managed, too, set the gradual dismantling of subsidies for public services, avoiding a serious economic harm to the neediest. And secured a substantial increase in resources for education credits. Today they are approved almost all applications,

He authored the bill to allow electronic voting in Colombia, strengthened the Aviation Safety in the country, triggering the process of installing radio aids, increased the number of inspectors and pulled out the construction of the second runway at El Dorado Airport Bogota.

Before finishing his term as Senator, Moreno Rojas, reaches a Master in Public Administration from the prestigious Harvard University in the School of Government Jonh F. Kennedy.

This quick glance at public and social work of Samuel Moreno Rojas, reflects its own light and the solid foundations that emerge as the best candidate to run for mayor of Bogota. No topic was foreign. By contrast, the direct perception dominates and the security that give knowledge and experience.

Profile of Rafael Pardo

Rafael Pardo Rueda has over 15 years in public life. He has held important positions and at all given rise to changes that give him the recognition as a political leader of extensive experience in the country.

In his first public office as director of the National Rehabilitation Plan, built the largest program of rural development that has taken the country. Not just in terms of budget (PNR represented 14% of the national investment budget between 1988 and 1991), but also because it was the first program was participatory Colombia. Thousands of people were part of the decisions of the State, and through public participation, there were large and small works.

As Presidential Advisor for Peace during the tenure of President Barco, Pardo made a novel policy of peace called the Peace Initiative, which first set limits, rules and public objectives for negotiations with the guerrillas. But the contribution was not only in designing policies, in theory, but mainly in its practical application.

He led the first successful negotiations with a guerrilla group in Colombia's history. In just over twelve months, the M-19 went from being an armed group threatened the peace and stability in the country to be a civilian political group and left arms and made peace. On 9 March 1990, the M-19 signed the final peace agreement with the Government, ending fifteen years of armed uprising. Pardo Rueda in May 1990 began negotiations with the then second largest guerrilla group in the country, the People's Liberation Army PLA, with the armed group Quintin Lame, Cauca indigenous self-defense, and the Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores, PRT, a division of ELN operating on the Caribbean coast and the Cauca.

With these four groups (M-19, PLA, QL, PRT) established a process of peace that lay down arms and enter civilian life plus five thousand guerrillas. It was the only negotiated peace that has been done in Colombia in more than two decades of negotiations.

In August 1990 became the National Security Advisor of President Gaviria.Established as a National Public Policy Against Violence, which were integrated programs and actions of all entities in this regard. As a result, between 1991 and 1994 dropped the statistics of kidnapping, murder and manslaughter common political purposes. It is the only period in which these indicators have declined nationally. Also had the responsibility to design what was then called the Policy Submission to the Justice. Search for those who have outstanding accounts with the law may arise, confess and be convicted in exchange for a reduced sentence. This policy, despite being criticized, has been the basis of the adversarial system which is then implemented with the attorney general and was ultimately to dismantle drug cartels and narco-terrorist to stop the war that bloodied the Colombian cities in the years 89 and 90.

Pardo Rueda was the first civilian who took the Defense Ministry in Colombia.To bring the security forces to the requirements of the Constitution of 1991, supported the peace negotiations that were developed with the umbrella guerrilla in Caracas and Tlaxcala, and when these failed, he led the armed forces to decisively confront the guerrillas. Between 1991 and 1994 increased the force of professional soldiers and 2,000 to 25,000, opened a wide discussion on the police and their importance for the country, promoted a bill to reform this institution. He then gained the approval of the reform bill to the National Police. Established military service in this institution, the institution purged thousands of police corrupt or inefficient and renewed confidence in this important institution.

To do justice and improve the welfare and wage levels of officers, noncommissioned officers, agents and personnel of the Armed Forces established the call Pardo Rueda income equalization, introduced fair wages to members of the security forces and distributed wages from Generals even the lowest ranked according to length of service of each.

He faced the worst attack of the guerrillas against the civilian population and infrastructure, increasing the combat capability of the armed forces of the state. He advocated the need to pay more taxes to support law enforcement in an open and above board. The war taxes were discussed and defended in public debate and won the support of citizens. Also faced Escobar's escape and his followers from jail in Envigado, reorganize the police to prosecute cartels, creating the search block by adding the best men and military and police efforts, which after 16 months intensive campaign was dismantled the Medellin cartel and killed or jailed their top leaders, including Pablo Escobar.

A level of transparency, secrecy Pardo eliminated for purchases of military forces ordered that all purchases were for competition or bidding procedures, established training programs in human rights within the Colombian armed forces and promoted the adoption of agreements Geneva (Humanitarian Law), after years of being paralyzed approval.

After leaving the government, Rafael Pardo did not accept nor request any diplomatic post. He attended Harvard University and stayed there for two years, advanced studies in international relations and published a book (From First Hand), which reflects their vision of Colombia since their experience in the Barco and Gaviria governments.

In 1997 he served as adviser to the secretary general of the OAS and had the opportunity to participate in agreements to demobilize the guerrillas of Guatemala. Then, he participated in the presidential campaigns of Alfonso Valdivieso and Andres Pastrana.

Brown was leading the initiative referendum that sought to change the policy and that even got more support than any referendum bill, failed to establish itself as not true.

He has been director of CM & News, columnist of the Spectator, where permanent generated controversy. He has been a speaker at several national and foreign universities, besides being the only Colombian who has published an article in the prestigious North American magazine Foreign Policy "Foreign Affairs".

During the second half of 2008, Rafael Pardo announced publicly their intention to participate as a presidential candidate for the elections of 2010, representing the Liberal Party. "With or without it I'll re-election candidate," he said.

STUDIES

Bogotano economist at the University of the Andes has conducted studies in Urban and Regional Planning at the Institute of Social Studies. The Hague. Netherlands.

He has also studied at Harvard University. International Relations. And Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Cambridge. U.S. from 1994 to 1996.

PUBLISHED BOOKS

• "The history of warfare" Ediciones B.2004

• "firsthand. Colombia 1986 - 1994: Between Conflict and Hope." Perseus Publishing. November 1996

• "New Security for Latin America" Cerec - Fescol. May 1999