Virgilio Barco Vargas

born September 17, 1921 in the city of Cucuta, province of North Santander de. His political career began in 1943 when he became a board member of the Liberal Party in the town of Durand, and later was elected to the lower house of Congress.

. In the late 1940's - early 1950's, a period known as La Violencia, when the Liberal and Conservative parties were engaged in a brutal war in which thousands died, Barco Vargas was forced to leave for U.S.
. Returning to Colombia in 1954, he began to actively pursue the negotiations, which became the basis of agreement signed between the warring parties in the world.

. During the next 40 years, he has twice been a member of the Senate (1958-66 gg.) Served as ambassador to Great Britain (1961-62, 1990-92.) And the U.S. (1977), served as mayor of Bogota, the capital of Colombia (1966 -69 gg.) and the Director of the World Bank (1969-74)
. His career reached its peak in 1976 when he won the presidential election with 58% of the votes (one of the biggest results in the history of the country).

. From the outset Barco administration was characterized by a kind of limbo, which was due to a large extent the creation of one-party government
. His term began with a plan to combat poverty, which, according to Vargas, was the cause of instability which permeated the country. Events in the country forced the president to continue negotiations with leftist guerrillas that began under his predecessor, which resulted in the signing of the cessation of armed struggle and the legalization of rebel organization M-19. All the released forces were sent to fight drug trafficking.

His efforts led to intense opposition to the drug cartels in the country. At the time, while the international community approves of Barco Vargas, Colombia it condemned. Vargas left the political arena in 1992. May 20, 1997 he died in Bogotц?