Alvaro Colom Caballeros
GuatemalaBiography of Alvaro Colom Caballeros
Alvaro Colom Caballeros, a Guatemalan businessman and politician, was born on June 15, 1951, in Guatemala City, the capital of the Republic of Guatemala. He was the fourth child of Antonio Colom Argueta and Yolanda Caballeros Ferrate.
In 1969, Colom earned a bachelor's degree from Liceo Guatemala College and enrolled in the Faculty of Industrial Engineering at the University of San Carlos. After the devastating earthquake in Guatemala in 1976, which claimed over 23,000 lives, Alvaro Colom actively engaged in the relief efforts, opened a textile production company, and provided free clothing to the affected individuals.
Being one of the pioneers in introducing the subcontracting system and having good connections with individuals in government circles, Alvaro Colom quickly developed his own business. By 1977, he had become a member of the Chamber of Industrialists of Guatemala and a member of the Advisory Council of the Exporters Union.
In 1984, he became the Chairman of the Industrialists Commission and decided to pursue a political career by the time the country was fully restored in 1986. In 1991, Alvaro Colom Caballeros was appointed Deputy Minister of Economy of Guatemala and later became the President of the National Peace Fund (FONAPAZ), which was responsible for post-war recovery and repatriation of refugees.
During his six years in this position, Alvaro Colom led the reconstruction of numerous destroyed villages and industrial facilities. In 2000, Colom announced the creation of his own social-democratic political bloc called "National Unity of Hope" and participated in the presidential elections in 2003. Although he did not win, Alvaro became the first left-leaning candidate to reach such a high position in the elections in the last fifty years.
In 2007, Alvaro Colom Caballeros again ran as the candidate of his party in the presidential elections and this time emerged victorious, receiving 52.7% of the votes. On January 14, 2008, he took the oath of office and became the President of the Republic of Guatemala.
Alvaro Colom Caballeros has been married three times. His first wife, Patricia Zarate, tragically died in a car accident in 1977, leaving behind two children, Patricia and Antonio. In 1980, Colom remarried but soon divorced. From his second marriage, he has a son named Diego. Currently, Alvaro Colom Caballeros is married for the third time. His wife, Sandra Torres, actively supports her husband in his public activities.
