| Carlos Sanz de Santamaría | |
| Order: | 18th |
| Office: | Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations |
| Term Start: | 3 March 1982 |
| Term End: | 2 May 1983 |
| President: | Belisario Betancur Cuartas |
| Predecessor: | Indalecio Liévano Aguirre |
| Successor: | Carlos Albán Holguín |
| Office2: | Minister of Finance and Public Credit |
| Term Start2: | 5 September 1962 |
| Term End2: | 21 February 1964 |
| President2: | Guillermo León Valencia |
| Predecessor2: | Virgilio Barco Vargas |
| Successor2: | Diego Calle Restrepo |
| Ambassador From3: | Colombia |
| Country3: | United States |
| Term Start3: | 1 April 1960 |
| Term End3: | 5 September 1962 |
| President3: | Alberto Lleras Camargo |
| Predecessor3: | José Gutiérrez Gómez |
| Successor3: | Eduardo Uribe Botero |
| Office4: | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| Term Start4: | 11 May 1957 |
| Term End4: | 7 August 1958 |
| President4: | Gabriel París Gordillo |
| Predecessor4: | José Manuel Rivas Sacconi |
| Successor4: | Julio César Turbay Ayala |
| Office5: | Minister of War |
| Term Start5: | 11 December 1946 |
| Term End5: | 23 April 1947 |
| President5: | Mariano Ospina Pérez |
| Predecessor5: | Luis Tamayo |
| Successor5: | Fabio Lozano y Lozano |
| Order6: | 6th |
| Ambassador From6: | Colombia |
| Country6: | United States |
| Term Start6: | 12 September 1945 |
| Term End6: | 11 December 1946 |
| President6: | Alberto Lleras Camargo |
| Predecessor6: | Gabriel Turbay Abunader |
| Successor6: | Gonzalo Restrepo Jaramillo |
| Order7: | 26th |
| Office7: | Minister of Finance and Public Credit of Colombia |
| Term Start7: | 9 April 1945 |
| Term End7: | 13 August 1945 |
| President7: | Alfonso López Pumarejo |
| Predecessor7: | Roberto Urdaneta Arbeláez |
| Successor7: | Francisco de Paula Pérez |
| Office8: | Minister of National Economy |
| Term Start8: | 6 March 1944 |
| Term End8: | 9 April 1945 |
| President8: | Darío Echandía Olaya |
| Predecessor8: | Moisés Prieto |
| Successor8: | Luis Tamayo |
| Office9: | Mayor of Bogotá |
| Term Start9: | August 1942 |
| Term End9: | 6 March 1944 |
| President9: | Alfonso López Pumarejo |
| Predecessor9: | Julio Pardo Dávila |
| Successor9: | Jorge Soto del Corral |
| Birth Date: | 23 April 1905 |
| Birth Place: | Bogotá, D.C., Colombia |
| Death Place: | Bogotá, D.C., Colombia |
| Nationality: | Colombian |
| Party: | Liberal |
| Spouse: | Dolores "Lola" Londoño |
| Children: | Alberto Sanz Londoño Guillermo Sanz Londoño Inés Elvira Sanz Londoño |
| Alma Mater: | National University of Colombia École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées |
| Profession: | Hydraulic Engineer |
Carlos Sanz de Santamaría (23 April 1905 - 5 November 1992)[1] was the 18th Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations, and twice served as Ambassador of Colombia to the United States; he also served as the Chairman of the Inter-American Committee on the Alliance for Progress, the precursor of the Organization of American States.[2] A Colombian civil engineer by training, he gained national acclaim for his work in the constructions of the aqueducts of Santa Marta, Riohacha, and Buenaventura, and the Vitelma Water Treatment Plant in Bogotá, and was hoisted to the national stage for his endeavours first as Mayor of Bogotá and then went on to occupy different executive ministries including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of War, and serving as the 9th Minister of National Economy and the 26th and 41st Minister of Finance and Public Credit of Colombia.[3] [4]
He graduated from the National University of Colombia in 1928 with a bachelor in civil engineering, and moved to France to study at the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, where he received his master's in hydraulic engineering in 1929. He was an associate member of the Societé des Ingenieurs Civiles de France (Engineer Society of France) since 1930, and a member of the Sociedad Colombiana de Ingenieros (Colombian Engineer Society) since 1932, of which it served twice as President.[5] [6]