Iván Velásquez Gómez

Iván Velásquez Gómez (born 12 May 1955) is a Colombian jurist and diplomat. From October 2013 to September 2019, he was the head of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG). In August 2022, he took office as Minister of National Defence under President Gustavo Petro.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Velásquez and the second or maternal family name is Gómez.
Assistant Secretary-General
Iván Velásquez Gómez
Minister of National Defence
Assumed office
7 August 2022
PresidentGustavo Petro
Preceded byDiego Molano
3rd Head of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala
In office
1 October 2013 – 3 September 2019
Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon
António Guterres
Preceded byFrancisco Dall'Anese
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Personal details
Born
Iván Velásquez Gómez

(1955-05-05) 5 May 1955
Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Political partyIndependent
AwardsRight Livelihood Award

Biography

Iván Velásquez was born in Medellín, Colombia. He studied law at the University of Antioquia. Later, he was appointed Antioquia Deputy Prosecutor during 1991 and 1994, where he initiated investigations related to torture, extrajudicial executions and abuses. In 1996 he was assistant magistrate in the Council of State, and a year later he was elected Regional Director of Public Prosecutors' Offices in Medellin for 1997 to 1999.[1] He was elected auxiliary magistrate of the Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia in 2000. Between 2006 and 2012, Velásquez coordinated the Commission of Investigative Support of the Criminal Chamber, in charge of investigating the Parapolitica case.[1]

In 2011 he was awarded the World Human Rights Prize by the International Bar Association and a year later the Association of German Judges awarded him for his commitment in the fight against corruption.[1]

At the end of September 2013, he was appointed Commissioner of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) at the level of Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Organization, replacing Francisco Dall'Anese.[1]

In 2018 he was awarded the Right Livelihood Award along with Thelma Aldana for "their innovative work with CICIG in exposing abuse of power and prosecuting corruption, thus rebuilding people’s trust in public institutions".[2]

On 27 June 2022 he was appointed new Minister of National Defense under President-elect Gustavo Petro.[3]

References
  1. "Biografía del Comisionado". CICIG (in Spanish). October 2013.
  2. 3 Saudi human rights activists awarded "Alternative Nobel", JAN M. OLSEN, Fox News, 24 September 2018
  3. Colombia President-elect Petro names Ivan Velasquez as defense minister reuters.com, retrieved 27 June 2022
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