2002 in Colombia

Decades:	1980s; 1990s; 2000s; 2010s; 2020s;
See also:	Other events of 2002; Timeline of Colombian history;

Events from the year 2002 in Colombia.

Incumbents

President:
- Andrés Pastrana Arango (1998 – 7 August 2002).^[1]
- Álvaro Uribe Vélez (7 August 2002 – 2010).^[2]
Vice President:
- Gustavo Bell (1998–7 August 2002).
- Francisco Santos Calderón (7 August 2002 – 2010).^[3]^[4]

Events

Ongoing

Colombian conflict

January

9 January – The Colombian government announces it is suspending peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and plans to enter the demilitarized zone.^[5]
30 January – Journalist Orlando Sierra Hernández is shot in the head twice while walking with his daughter in Manizales, Caldas. He dies in the hospital the following day.^[6]^[7]

February

20 February – Four FARC members hijack a commercial plane flying from Neiva to Bogotá. The president, as a result, decides to halt the peace process.^[8]
23 February – Presidential candidate Íngrid Betancourt and her campaign manager Clara Rojas are kidnapped by the FARC near San Vicente del Caguán.^[9]

March

10 March – 2002 parliamentary elections are held.^[10]
15 March – Football player Jairo Zulbarán is murdered while at a public market in Santa Marta.^[11]

April

11 April – Ancízar López López is kidnapped, allegedly by the National Liberation Army (ELN).^[12]
12 April – Valle del Cauca Deputies hostage crisis: 12 Deputies of the Valle del Cauca Department Assembly are kidnapped by FARC members with the goal of prisoner exchange.^[13]
26 April – Apartado massacre: FARC members kill nine workers and place explosives at the Villa Lucía banana plantation^[14]^[15]

May

2 May – Bojayá massacre: An estimated 119 people are killed after a church is caught in the crossfire of fighting between the FARC and the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), struck with a cylinder bomb.^[16]
26 May – The 2002 Colombian presidential election is held; Álvaro Uribe of the Colombia First movement wins, earning 53% of the vote.^[10]

June

18 June – President-elect Álvaro Uribe meets with United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers in Washington, D.C..^[17]

July

15 July – Amnesty International issues a 'fear for safety' public statement on SINTRAELECOL Human Rights officer Rodrigo Acevedo and other union members. This came after multiple apparent attempts on his life and the murders of at least 160 trade unionist murders in 2001.^[18]

August

7 August – Álvaro Uribe and Francisco Santos Calderón are inaugurated as the 31st president and 8th vice president of Colombia.^[3]
7 August – 14 people are killed in a FARC missile attack on the Casa de Nariño during Uribe's inauguration.^[19]

September

23-26 September – President Uribe meets with U.S. President George W. Bush.^[20]
24 September – The U.S. Department of Justice unseals indictments against AUC members, including Carlos Castaño-Gil, for cocaine trafficking.^[21]

Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela being captured.

November

7 November – Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, a drug lord from the Cali Cartel is granted early release after serving 7 years in prison on the basis of good behavior, despite efforts by the U.S. government to stop his release.^[22]

December

11 December – Police discover a number of cars rigged with remote control steering and explosives, believed to be prepared for attacks in Bogotá. They manage to defuse five cars bombs.^[23]
24 December – At a check-point in Paime, Cundinamarca, councilman José Alirio Macías is killed by the FARC-EP.^[24]

Births

18 February – Rubén Manjarrés, footballer.
6 April – Ángel Yesid Torres Quiñones, footballer.
19 May – Juan Zapata, footballer.
19 October – Brayan León, footballer.
27 October – Stiven Tobar Valencia, handballer.
26 December – William Palacios, footballer.

Deaths

1 February – Orlando Sierra Hernández, columnist and journalist (b. 1959).^[6]^[7]
15 March – Jairo Zulbarán, football player (b. 1970).
16 March – Isaías Duarte Cancino, Roman Catholic archbishop (b. 1939).

References

^ East, Roger; Thomas, Richard J. (3 June 2014). Profiles of People in Power: The World's Government Leaders. Routledge. p. 108. ISBN 978-1-317-63940-4.
^ "How President Alvaro Uribe changed Colombia". BBC News. 4 August 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ ^a ^b Publications, Europa (2002). South America, Central America and the Caribbean 2003. Taylor & Francis. p. 271. ISBN 978-1-85743-138-4.
^ Kline, Harvey F. (2012). Historical Dictionary of Colombia. Scarecrow Press. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-8108-7813-6.
^ "Peace Timeline: 2002". The Center for International Policy's Latin America Security Program. 12 March 2002. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ ^a ^b "The Case of Orlando Sierra Hernández". Global Freedom of Expression at Columbia University. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Orlando Sierra Hernández". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ "Colombian peace talks suspended after hijacking, kidnapping". CNN. 20 February 2002. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
^ Begg, Kirsten (13 July 2010). "Betancourt's arrogance got her kidnapped: Ex-hostage". Colombia Reports. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Colombia Cracks Down" (PDF). Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), Colombia Monitor. July 2002. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ "EL FINAL TRISTE DE MUCHOS FUTBOLISTAS" [The sad end of many players] (in Spanish). El Colombiano. January 2006. Archived from the original on 4 July 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ "la FIDH condena el secuestro y la muerte del ex gobernador Ancízar López López". Federación Internacional por los Derechos Humanos (FIDH) (in Spanish). 2005. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ "Ex diputados piden acuerdo humanitario" [Former deputies ask for a humanitarian agreement]. El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ "Incrementan seguridad en Urabá, tras masacre de nueve personas" [Security increased in Urabá after massacre of nine people]. Caracol Radio (in Spanish). 27 April 2002. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ "Masacre de Apartadó 2002" [Apartado massacre 2002]. Rutas del Conflicto (in Spanish). 16 October 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ Grattan, Steven; Voge, Cady. "Bojaya massacre: After 17 years, victims' remains returned". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
^ "The Friends of "El Viejo": Declassified Records Detail Suspected Paramilitary, Narco Ties of Former Colombian President Uribe". National Security Archive at George Washington University. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ "PUBLIC" (PDF). Amnesty International. 15 July 2002. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ "14 Dead At Colombian Inauguration". Retrieved 8 April 2017.
^ "Visits By Foreign Leaders of Colombia". U.S. Office of the Historian. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ Ashcroft, John (24 September 2002). "United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) Indictment". Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ "Drug Lord Is Released From Prison". Los Angeles Times. 8 November 2002. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ "Bogota Colombia RC Car Bombs 2002". Collective Awareness To UXO (CAT-UXO). Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ "Lo que hizo las Farc en Cundinamarca" [What the FARC did in Cundinamarca]. Verdad Abierta (in Spanish). 25 January 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2024.

External links

Media related to 2002 in Colombia at Wikimedia Commons

[1] East, Roger; Thomas, Richard J. (3 June 2014). Profiles of People in Power: The World's Government Leaders. Routledge. p. 108. ISBN 978-1-317-63940-4.

[2] "How President Alvaro Uribe changed Colombia". BBC News. 4 August 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[Europa-3] Publications, Europa (2002). South America, Central America and the Caribbean 2003. Taylor & Francis. p. 271. ISBN 978-1-85743-138-4.

[4] Kline, Harvey F. (2012). Historical Dictionary of Colombia. Scarecrow Press. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-8108-7813-6.

[5] "Peace Timeline: 2002". The Center for International Policy's Latin America Security Program. 12 March 2002. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[:1-6] "The Case of Orlando Sierra Hernández". Global Freedom of Expression at Columbia University. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[:2-7] "Orlando Sierra Hernández". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[8] "Colombian peace talks suspended after hijacking, kidnapping". CNN. 20 February 2002. Retrieved 19 August 2024.

[9] Begg, Kirsten (13 July 2010). "Betancourt's arrogance got her kidnapped: Ex-hostage". Colombia Reports. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2024.

[:0-10] "Colombia Cracks Down" (PDF). Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), Colombia Monitor. July 2002. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[11] "EL FINAL TRISTE DE MUCHOS FUTBOLISTAS" [The sad end of many players] (in Spanish). El Colombiano. January 2006. Archived from the original on 4 July 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[12] "la FIDH condena el secuestro y la muerte del ex gobernador Ancízar López López". Federación Internacional por los Derechos Humanos (FIDH) (in Spanish). 2005. Retrieved 26 September 2024.

[13] "Ex diputados piden acuerdo humanitario" [Former deputies ask for a humanitarian agreement]. El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[14] "Incrementan seguridad en Urabá, tras masacre de nueve personas" [Security increased in Urabá after massacre of nine people]. Caracol Radio (in Spanish). 27 April 2002. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[15] "Masacre de Apartadó 2002" [Apartado massacre 2002]. Rutas del Conflicto (in Spanish). 16 October 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[16] Grattan, Steven; Voge, Cady. "Bojaya massacre: After 17 years, victims' remains returned". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.

[17] "The Friends of "El Viejo": Declassified Records Detail Suspected Paramilitary, Narco Ties of Former Colombian President Uribe". National Security Archive at George Washington University. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[18] "PUBLIC" (PDF). Amnesty International. 15 July 2002. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[19] "14 Dead At Colombian Inauguration". Retrieved 8 April 2017.

[20] "Visits By Foreign Leaders of Colombia". U.S. Office of the Historian. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[21] Ashcroft, John (24 September 2002). "United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) Indictment". Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[22] "Drug Lord Is Released From Prison". Los Angeles Times. 8 November 2002. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[23] "Bogota Colombia RC Car Bombs 2002". Collective Awareness To UXO (CAT-UXO). Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[24] "Lo que hizo las Farc en Cundinamarca" [What the FARC did in Cundinamarca]. Verdad Abierta (in Spanish). 25 January 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2024.

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v t e Years in Colombia (since 1810)
19th century	1810s 1820s 1830s 1840s 1848 1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s
20th century	1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
21st century	2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

v t e 2002 in South America
Sovereign states	Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela
Dependencies and other territories	Falkland Islands French Guiana South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands