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Gilberto Echeverri Mejía

Gilberto Echeverri Mejía
Minister of National Defence of Colombia
In office
10 April 1997 – 7 August 1998
President Ernesto Samper Pizano
Preceded by Guillermo Alberto González Mosquera
Succeeded by Rodrigo Hernán Lloreda Caicedo
Governor of Antioquia
In office
28 August 1990 – 31 December 1991
President César Gaviria Trujillo
Preceded by Helena Herrán González
Succeeded by Juan Pablo Gómez Martínez
7th Minister of Economic Development of Colombia
In office
7 August 1978 – 14 May 1980
President Julio César Turbay Ayala
Preceded by Diego Moreno Jaramillo
Succeeded by Andrés Restrepo Londoño
Colombia Ambassador to Ecuador
In office
1975–1977
President Alfonso López Michelsen
Personal details
Born (1936-07-31)31 July 1936
Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia
Died 5 May 2003(2003-05-05) (aged 66)
Urrao, Antioquia, Colombia
Nationality Colombian
Political party Liberal
Spouse(s) Marta Inés Pérez Mejía (1962-2003)
Children Lina María Echeverri Pérez,
Jorge Ignacio Echeverri Pérez,
Carlos Arturo Echeverri Pérez
Alma mater Pontifical Bolivarian University (BSEE, 1959)
Profession Electrical Engineer
Religion Roman Catholic

Gilberto Echeverri Mejía (31 July 1936 - 5 May 2003) was a Colombian electrical engineer and politician who on 22 April 2002 was kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - FARC-EP along with the then-Governor of Antioquia Guillermo Gaviria Correa among others while participating in a peace walk and held hostage until 5 May 2003 when he was murdered by the guerrillas during a botched rescue operation by government forces deep in the jungles. A Liberal party politician, he had previously served as Ambassador of Colombia to Ecuador from 1975 to 1977 in the Administration of President Alfonso López Michelsen, Minister of Economic Development from 1978 to 1980 in the Administration of President Julio César Turbay Ayala,Minister of National Defence from 1997 to 1998 in the Administration of President Ernesto Samper Pizano, and was working as peace advisor to Governor Gaviria before he was kidnapped.

Gilberto was born on 31 July 1936 in Rionegro, Antioquia and was the youngest of twelve children born to José María Echeverri and María Mejía. He finished his secondary education in 1954 at the Pontifical Bolivarian University where he also graduated in 1959 with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering. In 1962 he married Marta Inés Pérez Mejía, with whom he had three children: Lina María, Jorge Ignacio, and Carlos Arturo.


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