Jaime Garzón

Jaime Garzón
Colombian journalist and comedian Jaime Garzón
Born	October 24, 1960 Bogotá
Died	August 13, 1999 (age 38) Bogotá
Nationality	Colombian
Education	Initial education in Seminarian Minor of Bogota National University (Law, 1980.)
Occupation	Journalist, comedian, television producer, lawyer and peace activist.

Jaime Hernando Garzón Forero (October 24, 1960 – August 13, 1999 in Bogotá) was a Colombian journalist, a comedian, lawyer, peace activist and political satirist. He was popular on Colombian television during the 1990s for his political satire. In addition to his work on television, he also had roles as a peace negotiator in the release of FARC guerrillas' hostages. He was allegedly murdered by suspected right-wing paramilitary forces in 1999, according to testimony that implicated the organization's commander. In further testimony, 16 years after the murder, a former paramilitary officer testified in court that the order to kill Garzón was allegedly a conspiracy between former Police Mayor Mauricio Santoyo, National Army General Harold Bedoya and former General Jorge Enrique Mora Rangel and that the murder was carried out by La Teraza, which is a wing of the Medellin drug cartel. The case remains open and unsolved.

Jaime Garzón was born in Bogotá on October 24, 1960. He studied law and political science at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, but his active involvement in politics and television did not allow him to finish.

Garzón joined the political campaign of Andrés Pastrana Arango for mayor of Bogotá. After winning the elections, Pastrana nominated him as major of Sumapaz, an underdeveloped rural locality in the district, in 1988. Garzón tried to improve the standard of living in Sumapaz. In a year, he created a health center, the school was improved and the only street of town was paved.