Alfonso Valdivieso

Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento (born 2 October 1949)^[1] is a Colombian lawyer and politician.

Alfonso Valdivieso
Senator of Colombia
In office 20 July 2008 – 20 July 2010
In office 20 July 1986 – 1 February 1992
24th Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations
In office 18 September 1998 – 14 January 2003
President	Andrés Pastrana
Preceded by	Julio Londoño
Succeeded by	María Ángela Holguín
2nd Attorney General of Colombia
In office 17 August 1994 – 8 May 1997
Nominated by	César Gaviria
Preceded by	Gustavo de Greiff
Succeeded by	Alfonso Gómez Méndez
Colombia Ambassador to Israel
In office 1 February 1992 – 20 March 1993
President	César Gaviria
Succeeded by	Patricio Samper
Minister of National Education
In office 16 August 1990 – 16 November 1991
President	Virgilio Barco Vargas
Preceded by	Manuel Becerra
Succeeded by	Carlos Holmes Trujillo
Member of the Chamber of Representatives
In office 20 July 1982 – 20 July 1986
Constituency	Santander
Personal details
Born	Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento (1949-10-02) 2 October 1949 (age 75) Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia
Political party	Radical Change (2006-present)
Other political affiliations	Liberal New Liberalism
Spouse	Marta Cecilia León (1983-present)
Relations	Luis Carlos Galán (cousin)
Children	Sergio Valdivieso Camilo Valdivieso
Alma mater	Pontifical Xavierian University (LLB) Boston University (MA)
Profession	Lawyer, Economist

Biography

Alfonso Sarmiento was born in Bucaramanga, Santander to Roberto Valdivieso Serrano and Mercedes Sarmiento Suárez.^[2] He attended Divino Niño school and San Pedro Claver school. After graduating from Instituto Tecnológico Santandereano, he moved to Bogotá. He attended Pontifical Xavierian University where he graduated in Law with a concentration in Socio-Political Sciences. Afterwards he moved to the United States where he received a Master of Arts in Global Development Economics (MA GDE) from Boston University, and advanced studies in Urban and Regional Development at Toronto University.^[3][4]

He is the cousin of the late liberal leader Luis Carlos Galán, who was assassinated when he was 39 years old and relative of politicians Juan Manuel Galán, Carlos Fernando Galán and, Claudio Galán.

Political and diplomatic career

As the 2nd Attorney General of Colombia, he brought charges and stood against the administration of Ernesto Samper Pizano during the Proceso 8000. He served as the 24th Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations and as Ambassador of Colombia to Israel. A Radical Change party politician, he was elected Representative and Senator in the Congress of Colombia, and served as Minister of National Education under the administration of Virgilio Barco Vargas.^[5]