Ernesto Samper

Samper is a collateral descendant of Antonio Nariño's, paternal grandson of writer Daniel Samper Ortega, grandson in direct line of businessman Tomas Samper Brush, and grandson of the politician Miguel Samper Agudelo, who was a presidential candidate in 1898.

Samper is the nephew of the renowned architect Germán Samper Gnecco, brother of writer, journalist and columnist Daniel Samper Pizano (as noted above), cousin of Patricio Samper Gnecco, and uncle of the former director of SoHo Magazine, Daniel Samper Ospina.

Ernesto Samper Pizano (born 3 August 1950) is a Colombian politician.

Samper is a member of the influential Samper family.

Ernesto was born on 3 August 1950 in Bogotá, to Andrés Samper Gnecco and Helena Pizano Pardo.

Among his siblings, Daniel Samper Pizano stands out as a prolific writer and journalist, a trait not alien to the Samper family, who come from a long line of writers.

Samper studied in the Gimnasio Moderno, a prestigious secondary school in Bogotá, and attended the Pontifical Xavierian University, graduating in 1972 with a degree in economics.

He obtained a degree in law in 1973.

Additionally, he conducted graduate studies in Economics at Columbia University while living in New York City.

In 1974, he became a professor of law and economics at his alma mater, the Pontifical Xavierian University.

Samper helped manage the unsuccessful 1982 presidential campaign of former president Alfonso López Michelsen.

He became a member of the Bogotá City Council.

He was then a member of the Senate of Colombia.

In 1989, Samper was wounded by 11 bullets during the assassination of Patriotic Union leader José Antequera, leaving Samper hospitalized with near-fatal sepsis.

His subsequent campaign was conducted with strict regard for security, including wearing bullet-proof vests and being accompanied by a security detail of over 400.

Samper unsuccessfully ran for the Liberal Party's nomination for president in 1990.

Like the eventual winner, César Gaviria, Samper was from the reformist wing of the party.

During the Gaviria administration, Samper served as Minister of Economic Development, (1990–1991) and as ambassador to Spain (1991–1993).

In 1993, when the 1994 presidential campaign was in its early stages, it became increasingly clear that the race was going to be close, particularly between Samper and Andrés Pastrana, the candidate of the Colombian Conservative Party: opinion polls were sharply divided.

He served as the President of Colombia from 1994 to 1998, representing the Liberal Party.

Presidential elections took place on 29 May 1994.

Ernesto Samper won the first electoral round—where about 1/2 of 17 million voters cast ballots—with 45.2% of the vote.

Pastrana was the runner up, with 45%.

16 other candidates divided the remainder.

Colombian electoral law states that if no candidate wins more than 50% + 1 vote in the first round, a second round between the two candidates who achieved the highest number of votes in the first round shall take place to identify a winner.

The results of the first round caused the Samper campaign team to secure additional funding to help widen the margin over the opposing candidate.

The campaign had assumed that Ernesto Samper would win the election easily in the first round and had spent all of their campaign funds to achieve this.

With the campaign financials running in the red, the campaign managers were faced with the need to rally support for an additional three weeks against a strong, well-funded opponent.

In what can be described as an attempt to win at all cost, the campaign turned to the Cali Cartel, receiving cash donations in excess of $6 million US dollars.

These donations were delivered in large colourful paper bags normally used for birthday gifts.

On 19 June 1994, after three weeks of arduous campaigning, Samper was elected president in the second-round voting, once again by a narrow margin, 50.37% to 48.64%, over Pastrana.

Shortly after his presidential victory, Samper was accused by Pastrana of having received campaign donations from the Cali Cartel of $3.75 million US dollars, with journalist Alberto Giraldo Lopez as the intermediary.

Samper initially denied the allegations.

From 2014 to 2017 he served as the Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

He was involved in the 8000 process scandal, which takes its name from the folio number assigned to it by the chief prosecutor's office.

The prosecutor charged that money from the Cali Cartel was funneled into Samper's presidential campaign to gain his success in what would have been a very close race after he failed to win by a majority during the first round (Colombia has 2 rounds of elections, unless the first round yields a majority winner).

The Colombian Chamber of Representatives acquitted Samper by a vote of 111 to 43, concluding the process.

Samper is related to several other Colombians of note.

One of his great great grandfathers, Teodoro Valenzuela Sarmiento, was the nephew of the former president and hero of the Independence of Colombia, Crisanto Valenzuela Conde.

Another of his great great grandfathers was the poet Diego Fallón Carrión, and his great great grandmother Felisa Pombo Rebolledo was the sister of the poet Rafael Pombo.