| Armando Alberto Benedetti Villaneda | |
|---|---|
| President of the Senate of Colombia | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 20 July 2010 |
|
| Senator of Colombia | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 20 July 2006 |
|
| Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia | |
| In office 20 July 2002 – 20 July 2006 |
|
| Constituency | Capital District |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 29, 1967 Barranquilla, Atlantico, Colombia |
| Nationality | Colombian |
| Political party | Social National Unity |
| Other political affiliations |
Liberal |
| Alma mater | Pontifical Xavierian University |
| Profession | Journalist |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www.armandobenedetti.com |
Armando Alberto Benedetti Villaneda (born August 29, 1967) is the former President of the Senate of Colombia. A journalist and Party of the U politician, he has been a Senator of Colombia since 2006, and has also served as a Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia, and as Councillor for Bogotá.
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Benedetti was born in the Caribbean Region of Colombia in the city of Barranquilla. His father is former minister Armando Benedetti. He studied communications at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá and later did post graduate studies in journalism. Between 1990 and part of 1991 he worked as a reporter for the national TV news show QAP Noticias.
He began working for liberal politician Eduardo Verano De la Rosa in 1991 as advisor during the Constituent Assembly of Colombia which developed and approved the Colombian Constitution of 1991. In 1991 he also worked for Ministry of Economic Development as specialized professional. He also worked for the Intra, the now disappeared National highway institute for which he was appointed Secretary General of Public establishments between 1992 and 1993. Worked then for Ecosalud (former Etesa) in 1996 as Commercial Vice-President until 1997.
With only 29 years old Benedetti was elected for the City Council of Bogotá, one of the youngest councilmen to ever serve. He was assigned as First Vice-President of the District Cabildo and as President of the Permanent First Commission of the Development Plan, which developed the "Territorial Order Plan for Bogotá" during the mayorship of Enrique Peñalosa.
During the administration of Penalosa, Benedetti denounced over costs on public works such as the construction of bollards and proposed numerous projects including Project 25 of 1998 which established educational workshops in all the capital district educational institutions to prevent alcoholism, smoking and drug addiction.
Benedetti decided to run for a seat in the Congress of Colombia, in the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia for the legislative elections of 1998 to represent Bogotá. He was reelected in the legislative elections of 2002 also for the period 2002-2006. During his term he promoted the referendum, the anti-terrorism statute, the military vote, the presidential reelection, the Law of Truth, Justice and Reparation for demobilized illegal combatants in the Colombian armed conflict, among other parliamentary work.
Benedetti decided to join the Social National Unity Party which is one of the main parties supporting Alvaro Uribe. In the legislative elections of 2006 Benedetti ran for a seat on the senate and resulted elected.
In April 2008, a judicial process was initiated against him as a part of the investigation of ties between paramilitary organizations and important Colombian politicians. Senator Benedetti has denied any possible link with the terrorist group (AUC-paramilitaries), whereas members of it have claimed to have evidence of such links. These accusations were released soon after he denounced that AUC members were not repairing their victims and were committing crimes.
He is also accused by conservative groups as being a representative of the so-called culture-of-death for his pro-choice and pro-euthanasia stances. During his senatorial term, he has promoted bills the promotion of "rights" for minority groups such as same-sex unions, and antidiscrimination statute.
Benedetti has been investigated by the Supreme Court for his supposed links with paramilitarism in Colombia (see: Colombian parapolitics scandal) and has been accused by the ex congressional Yidis Medina of being part of corruption activities related to the reelection of the ex president Álvaro Uribe (see: Yidispolitics scandal).