| Piedad Córdoba | |
|---|---|
| Ex Senator of Colombia | |
| In office July 20, 2006 – September 27, 2010 |
|
| In office July 20, 1994 – July 8, 2005 |
|
| EXMember of the Colombian Chamber of Representatives | |
| In office July 20, 1992 – July 20, 1994 |
|
| Constituency | Antioquia Department |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Piedad Esneda Córdoba Ruiz January 25, 1955 Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia |
| Nationality | Colombian |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse(s) | Luis Ángel Castro Hinestroza (1973–1999) |
| Children | Juan Luis, Camilo Andrés, Natalia María, César Augusto |
| Residence | Bogotá, D.C., Colombia |
| Alma mater | Pontifical Bolivarian University |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Website | www.piedadcordoba.net |
Piedad Esneda Córdoba Ruiz (born January 25, 1955), better known by her nom de guerre Teodora de Bolívar or Gaitán is a former Liberal Senator of Colombia who served for four terms from 1994 to 2010, and a former Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia. As part of two separate and distinct investigations, she was striped from her seat in Congress in 2005 and again in 2006. She is a Colombian of African descent and represents these minorities in congress as part of the "Poder Ciudadano Siglo XXI" political movement. Córdoba has been a constant supporter of legislation addressing discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation and race. She was an outspoken critic of the administration of Colombian President Álvaro Uribe.
During 2007, Córdoba participated as an official government mediator for the humanitarian exchange discussions between the Government of Colombia and the FARC guerrilla group, along with Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez. After the end of the mediation in November, FARC announced that it would release the hostages Clara Rojas and Consuelo González. She was nominated for the 2009 Nobel Peace Price.[1]
Córdoba was judicially denounced for treason under Colombian law after making controversial declarations against the Colombian government and its president during a political event in Mexico in March 2007, a charge investigated by the Supreme Court. As part of the "farcpolitics" scandal, Colombian authorities have probed her due to accusations linking the Senator with FARC.
In 2010, Córdoba spoke before the European Parliament, asking it to pressure the Colombian government under President Juan Manuel Santos into entering peace talks with the nation's insurgent groups. However, Córdoba later apologized to Santos for her remarks and stated that she didn't want to put the president against a wall but serve as an "ally for peace." [2]
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Córdoba was born in Medellín, Antioquia of an Afro-Colombian father and a white mother. Her parents are Zabulón Córdoba (brother of political leader of the Department of Chocó Diego Luis Córdoba) and Lía Ruiz. She studied at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Medellín, graduating as a lawyer. She specialized in Labour Law at the same university, and in Public Opinion and Political Marketing at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, in Bogotá.
Córdoba began her political carrier in Medellín working as a community leader in many neighborhoods along political leader William Jaramillo Gómez. Between 1984 and 1986 Córdoba was appointed to her first public office job, working as a municipal sub-controller. In 1986, Jaramillo, widely regarded as her mentor, was elected Mayor of Medellín and later appointed her as private secretary.
In 1988 Córdoba was elected Councilwoman of Medellín, where she remained until 1990, when she postulated her name as candidate for the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia but did not secure enough votes to be elected. A few months after the congressional elections, Córdoba ran for Deputy to the Antioquia Assembly, this time successfully getting elected.
After the Constituent Assembly of Colombia adopted the new Constitution of 1991, Córdoba ran for congress once again for the Chamber of Representatives for the period 1992–1994. In 1994 her political mentor William Jaramillo announced that he was not going to seek a reelection and Córdoba assumed his role. She was elected to the Senate for the 1994–1998 period receiving most of her votes from the Departments of Antioquia and Chocó.
Due to her public profile Córdoba became one of the most notorious figures of the Latin American feminist movement in Colombia. She became part of a popular inter-parliamentary group that promotes government policies on sexuality. In 1995, Córdoba participated in the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China.
Through congress Córdoba became nationally known for taking controversial positions, such as the reactivation of the extradition law in 1997 and other positions that were seen as radical and belligerent. In 1998 Córdoba was nonetheless reelected as senator. She promoted debates focused on minorities and communitarian mothers groups, as well as the resolution of the Colombian armed conflict through peaceful negotiations.
During the investigation that then president of Colombia Ernesto Samper underwent for allegedly accepting money in his presidential campaign from the Cali drug trafficking cartel, Córdoba became an outspoken defender of the president during the scandal that was later dubbed Proceso 8000.
In 1999 Carlos Castaño, leader of the paramilitary group United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), kidnapped Senator Córdoba. After several weeks she was freed and exiled with her family in Canada. After one year and 2 months in exile and reports by Colombian authorities that security had improved, Córdoba returned to Colombia, leaving her family behind to resume her political duties. She has been the victim of two assassination attempts.
In the elections of 2002, the regions where Córdoba had traditionally received strong voting results like Medellín, Chocó were seen as being under control by a AUC paramilitary group. Córdoba was elected once again for congress this time obtaining strong voting results in the capital, Bogotá.
In 2003, Córdoba was involved in a series of debates regarding corruption by the Minister of the Interior and Justice, Fernando Londoño Hoyos. After the debates in May of that year, with her image and profile improved, she was elected President of the National Liberal Directorate (head of the Colombia liberal party).
In 2005, the Council of State of Colombia modified the electoral results of 2002 after proving there had been an electoral fraud in Valle del Cauca and Atlántico. The new results left Córdoba out of congress. She then promoted the leftist radical wing of the Colombian Liberal party in order to prevent it from moving towards the political current of President Álvaro Uribe.
For this reason she founded the Poder Ciudadano Siglo XXI political movement as an internal dissidence of the Liberal party. In the legislative elections of 2006 Córdoba's political movement did not get a high voting turnout; however, she was elected once again to the senate.
In 2006 Córdoba became part of the Seventh Commission of Congress, which is in charge of debating labor topics. She had previously worked on the Third Commission which deals with Financial affairs, the Fifth Commission which deals with Mining and Energy and the Second Commission which debated topics related to Foreign Affairs. Córdoba was also president of the Senate's Human Rights Commission and the Peace Commission. As congresswoman she has supported projects that focused mainly on "communitary mothers", women head of households, Afro-Colombian communities, LGBT groups, groups against family violence and corruption.
On March 11, 2007, Córdoba attended a symposium in Mexico City called Los Partidos Políticos y una Nueva Ciudad (Political parties and a new city) which was supported by guerrilla groups from Colombia, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN), both considered terrorist organizations by the US government and the European Union. Córdoba generated controversy after declaring that "the progressive governments of Latin America should break their diplomatic relations with Colombia" and also that Álvaro Uribe was a "paramilitary".[3]
The head of the Liberal Party, César Gaviria, rejected Córdoba's opinions.[4] Córdoba was later judicially denounced for treason after making these declarations, a charge which is currently being investigated by Colombia's Supreme Court.
On August 16, 2007, President Uribe in a surprising move appointed Córdoba as mediator in the humanitarian exchange in an effort negotiate the freedom of some 50 (number at the time) hostages held by FARC and the possible release of some 500 guerrillas imprisoned by the government.[5] Córdoba then asked the President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez to mediate also, with the support of President Uribe.
Córdoba met with alias Raul Reyes, spokesman and leader of the FARC, to coordinate a meeting with president Chávez in Venezuela.[6] In Venezuela, Chávez and Córdoba met with Rodrigo Granda and Ivan Marquez among other members of the guerrilla as part of the negotiations. Photos of Córdoba and the guerrillas surfaced in an online website called Agencia Bolivariana de Prensa (ABP) which showed Córdoba in an amicable and cordial relationship with the FARC, receiving flowers, kisses and hugs. This generated controversy among the government and other critics.,[7] to which she responded that the photos "were taken out of context" .
On November 22, President Uribe ended the mediation after Chávez broke with diplomatic protocol by placing a series of calls directly to the high command of the Colombian military. Uribe had conditioned Chávez against any attempt to talk to the Colombian military high command without going through appropriate diplomatic channels. Chávez initially accepted the decision but afterwards reacted by pulling his ambassador from Bogotá, He decided to stop diplomatic relations between the two countries and even announced his intent to sharply reduce bilateral commerce.[8]
On December 20, 2007, Córdoba accused an unspecified "top Colombian government official", of orchestrating an assassination attempt towards her on Venezuelan soil. This accusation sparked a confrontation with Juan Manuel Santos, the Minister of Defense, who had previously been the subject of other allegations made by Córdoba. So far no proof or testimony about the alleged conspiracy is known.[9]
Following the end of her official role as a mediator, Córdoba has accused President Álvaro Uribe, the Minister of Defense and the Colombian Armed Forces of engaging in military operations or otherwise obstructing announced hostage releases.
On April 24, 2008 the Colombian government released files said to be part of the computers found in the camp of the former FARC commander Raúl Reyes. According to the information in the files, Córdoba would reportedly be implicated due to having friendly ties with the guerrillas. Under the codename of "'Teodora de Bolivar'", allegedly in reference to the Senator, she would be one of twelve people mentioned as part of a potential transitional government set up by the FARC in the event that they seized power in Colombia. The files are said to indicate Córdoba would have received money from Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez to fund social projects in the department. The Colombian Supreme Court asked for the seized files in order establish if there are valid reasons for a criminal investigation, but the Colombian government wanted the files to be validated by Interpol first. Interpol reported that the Colombian government had not manipulated the seized computer exhibits and validated their authenticity, but did not certify the accuracy of their contents.[10]
Córdoba has claimed the revelations are a "smokescreen" meant to divert attention from the Colombian parapolitics scandal affecting the Uribe administration.[11]
Córdoba met at the Venezuelan presidential palace with FARC leaders last fall. From that meeting, the rebels reported that "Piedad says that Chávez has Uribe going crazy. He doesn't know what to do. That Nancy Pelosi helps and is ready to help in the swap [hostages in exchange for captured guerrillas]. That she has designated U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern for this."
The senator was nominated to the Nobel Peace Prize, by solicitation of former Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel.
On September 27, 2010 Senator Córdoba's credentials were revoked by the Inspector General of Colombia, Alejandro Ordoñez, due to her alleged FARC ties. The Inspector General's investigation concluded that Córdoba was involved in promoting and supporting the guerrilla group. The same decision also forbid Córdoba from holding any public office for eighteen years.[12][13]
Córdoba rejected the Inspector General's decision and accused him of "criminalizing humanitarian work." She has announced that she will counter the decision and intends to prove her innocence. Córdoba also reiterated her wish to continue working towards peace and freedom.[14]
According to the Inspector General, the investigation originated from the electronic media seized during Operation Phoenix, the military operation where FARC spokesperson 'Raúl Reyes' was killed in Ecuador. The Inspector General's decision refers to electronic documents identifying Córdoba with the aliases of 'Teodora', 'Teodora Bolivar' and 'La Negra'. The parliamentary, according to the Inspector General's decision, also exceeded the duties specified in the authorization given to her by the Colombian government as an official mediator for the humanitarian exchange.[13] Based on these and other findings, the Inspector General reported he had established that the senator gave advice to FARC, such as sending voice recordings instead of video footage of the insurgent group's hostages as "proofs of life" in order to improve their strategy.[13]