Yolanda Pulecio Vélez
| Yolanda Pulecio Vélez | |
|---|---|
| Senator of Colombia | |
|
In office July 20, 1990 – 1991 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 31, 1939 Bogotá, DC, Colombia |
| Nationality | Colombian |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse(s) | Gabriel Betancourt Mejía (m. 1959 d. 1980) |
| Children |
Ingrid Betancourt Pulecio Astrid Betancourt Pulecio |
| Residence | Bogotá |
| Occupation | Advocate, politician |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Yolanda Pulecio Vélez also known as "Mamá Yolanda" (born December 31, 1939) is a Colombian former beauty queen turned politician, former member of the Congress of Colombia and diplomat. Pulecio married former minister of finance and diplomat Gabriel Betancourt. Pulecio is the mother of Astrid Betancourt and French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt who spent six and a half years in captivity after being kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia until July 2 when she was rescued by the Colombian Armed Forces in Operation Jaque, 2008.
In 1955 Pulecio participated in the Miss Colombia pageant in representation of the Department of Cundinamarca. She then founded the Hogares Infantiles de Bogotá (Bogotá Children's Shelter) a foundation to help the poor children of Bogotá which has been functioning since 1958.
In 1961, her husband Gabriel Betancourt, whom she had married in 1959 was appointed as Adjutant Director of the UNESCO of Colombia in France. The family went to live in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a suburb of Paris. They lived in France for 5 years until 1966.
In 1966 then President of Colombia Carlos Lleras appointed her husband as Minister of Education and returned to Colombia. Back in Colombia, Pulecio was appointed by the then Mayor of Bogotá, Virgilio Barco as Director of the Social Welfare Department of Bogotá. In 1969 her husband Gabriel was appointed as Ambassador of Colombia to the UNESCO and the family returned to live in Paris, France. Their daughters, Astrid and Íngrid, studied at the Institut de l’Assomption, as well as a boarding school in England.
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