| Luis Humberto Gómez Gallo | |
|---|---|
| Senator of Colombia | |
| In office 20 July 1994 – 28 May 2008 |
|
| President of the Senate of Colombia | |
| In office 20 July 2004 – 20 July 2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Germán Vargas Lleras |
| Succeeded by | Claudia Blum Capurro |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 June 1962 Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia |
| Nationality | Colombian |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Other political affiliations |
National Salvation Movement (2006-2009) |
| Spouse(s) | Zulema Jattín Corrales Carolina Penuela Ramirez |
| Children | Camilo José, Juan Diego and Manuela Lucía |
| Alma mater | Catholic University of Colombia Universidad Externado de Colombia |
| Profession | Industrial Engineer |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Luis Humberto Gómez Gallo (born 26 June 1962) is a Colombian industrial engineer specialized in business administration and constitutional law. A Conservative politician, he served as President of the Senate of Colombia where he had been a Senator from 1994 until 2008 when he was charged and arrested as part of a wider parapolitica scandal.[1][2]
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He attended the Catholic University of Colombia graduating in Industrial engineering and did post graduate studies in business administration. He also did post graduate studies at the Universidad Externado de Colombia graduating in constiturional law.
Gomez-Gallo was appointed Secretary of Public Works for the Department of Tolima. 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.
In 1994 Gomez-Gallo ran for congress and was elected senator of Colombia. He was then reelected for the 1998, 2002 and 2006 period. He was president of the senate and President of the Congress of Colombia for the period between July 20, 2004 and July 20, 2005. He was married to Zulema Jattin Corrales.
As senator Gomez-Gallo was President of the First Commission of Congress from July 20, 2003 to July 20, 2004 which debates topics related to Constitutional matters. He was also Vice President for this same commission for two consecutive periods.
Gómez Gallo is currently under investigation by the Supreme Court of Colombia after being involved in the Parapolitica scandal in which politicians mingled with paramilitary groups to coerce voters in their favor. He is also investigated for his relationship to drug trafficker Eduardo Restrepo Victoria, alias "El Socio".[1]
On October 10, 2007 units of the Attorney General of Colombia arrested Gomez Gallo in Bogota after the President of the Penal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Colombia 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 accused him of being involved in the assassination of congressman Pompilio de Jesús Avendaño in 2001. According to the paramilitary member Gomez Gallo paid COP$300 million pesos for the assassination.[2]