Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa
| Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
May 2, 1956 Manizales, Colombia |
| Died |
March 22, 1990 (aged 33) Bogota, Colombia |
| Occupation | Politician, President of the patriotic union and candidate for the presidency of Colombia 1990-1994 |
| Political party | Patriotic Union (Colombia) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa (born in 1956 in Manizales, Caldas, died in Bogotá, Cundinamarca on March 22, 1990) was a Colombian politician and member of the Colombian Communist Party. Jaramillo started working primarily in the Urabá Antioquia region until 1987 when he assumed the presidency of the Patriotic Union Party (UP) after the assassination of Jaime Pardo.
Youth
Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa was born into a poor family in Manizales. Not much is known of his early life, but he did graduate with degrees in law and political science.
In the Patriotic Union
Jaramillo joined the UP once it was founded in 1985 and later in the 1988 election won the seat of Senator of the Republic. Following the murder of Pardo Leal he took the chair of the UP.
He tried to give greater breadth to the UP, accused by its critics of being a political arm of the FARC. Jaramillo Ossa made efforts to link the movement with the Socialist International, which earned him the nickname "perestroika". Jaramillo intended to separate the suspected relationship between his party and the FARC by approaching the Socialist International. Jaramillo then ran for the presidency of Colombia. He was planning an alliance with Carlos Pizarro Leongómez, demobilized leader of the 19th of April Movement (M-19) and also a candidate for the Presidency.
Murder
Jaramillo was murdered while campaigning in Bogotá on March 22, 1990. He was heading with his wife Mariela Barragan and several bodyguards of the DAS to Airlift Terminal Bogotá, despite having received death threats. He refused to wear a protective vest. Once he was in the terminal, he waited for his flight to Santa Marta, where he would go on vacation. A young paramilitary named Andres Arturo Gutierrez Maya waited for him while he and his wife were in front of a pharmacy, then pulled out a Mini Ingram 380 machine gun and fired on the candidate.[1][2] A guard pushed the wife to avoid impacts received while other guards chased after the murderer. Jaramillo was wounded in the arms of his wife and uttered three sentences: "Mi amor, no siento las piernas. Estos hijueputas me dieron, me voy a morir. Abrazame y protegeme. [My Love, I don't feel my legs. These motherfuckers they gave me, I am going to die. Hug me and protect me.]"[2]
After being taken to the car he lost consciousness and was taken to the clinic Cajanal (National Provident Fund). Before being taken to the operating room, he died after a delay in the elevator at the clinic.
After his assassination other members in or related to his party were also killed.
Investigations
On February 11, 2010, Alberto Romero, an ex director of the DAS (Colombian Security Service), was charged as being linked to the murder, together with Carlos Castaño, the chief of the AUC (paramilitary forces).[3]
Popular culture
Bernardo Jaramillo is portrayed by the Venezuelan actor Orlando Valenzuela in the Colombian TV series Pablo Escobar: El Patrón del Mal.
References
- ↑ "Revive el caso de Bernardo Jaramillo". El Espectador (in Spanish). November 21, 2009.
- 1 2 "Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa sabía que lo iban a matar". Semana (in Spanish). March 19, 2010.
- ↑ "Piden vincular al ex jefe de inteligencia del DAS Alberto Romero en el crimen de Bernardo Jaramillo". El Tiempo (in Spanish). February 11, 2010.