Maruja Pachón Castro Explained

Maruja Pachón
Birth Date:9 December 1948
Birth Place:New York City, New York
Occupation:Minister
Spouse:Luis Alberto Villamizar Cárdenas
Relatives:Gloria Pachón
Nationality:Colombian

Maruja Pachón (born December 9, 1948) is a Colombia kidnap victim and former Minister for Education.

Biography

Pachón was born in New York.[1] She married Alberto Villamizar and as result she and her sister in law, Beatriz Villamizar de Guerrero, were kidnapped by Pablo Escobar on 7 November 1990.[2] She may have been chosen because her sister, Gloria Pachón was the widow of the Presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán who had been assassinated in August 1989 by hit men hired by the drug cartels.[3] Escobar eventually kidnapped further victims in order that he might persuade the Government of President César Gaviria to rethink their drugs policy. She was released in May 1991. She and her husband feature strongly in News of a Kidnapping which was written by Gabriel García Márquez and the documents the kidnappings.

She was offered the position of Minister for Education by President César Gaviria in 1993.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Maruja Pachón, ex ministra de Educación. Semana. Maruja Pachón, ex ministra de Educación. spanish. 2020-01-21.
  2. http://www.semana.com/enfoque/maruja-pachon-ex-ministra-educacion/124339-3.aspx Maruja Pachon, former Minister of Education
  3. https://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/19/world/colombian-presidential-candidate-is-slain-at-rally.html Colombian Presidential Candidate Is Slain at Rally