born June 30, 1913, Bogotá, Colom.
President of Colombia (197478).
Son of a former president, he served as senator, governor, and foreign minister before his 1974 landslide victory in Colombia's first competitive presidential election in 16 years. A liberal, he raised taxes on high incomes and took steps to curb inflation, but the elimination of price subsidies and a rise in unemployment led to labour unrest, land seizures by peasants, and guerrilla activity. In 1982 he was defeated in another run for the presidency.