Virgilio Barco Isakson
Encyclopedia
Virgilio Barco Isakson (born 1965) is a Colombian economist, son of former President of Colombia
Virgilio Barco Vargas
. An openly out gay man, Barco has been a LGBT rights activist fighting for LGBT rights in Colombia
and is the co-founder of Colombia Diversa, a NGO that advocates for legal and political representation for LGBT people in Colombia. He is also the founder of Invest in Bogotá, an investment promotion agency for Bogotá
and Cundinamarca
, a public-private partnership between the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, the Bogotá City Government and the Government of Cundinamarca, that aims to encourage and help investors who are exploring opportunities to invest in Bogotá.
and his wife Carolina Isakson Proctor; he is the youngest of four children, and only son, his sisters are Carolina, Julia, and Diana. Virgilio has been in a registered de facto union
with his partner
Andrew Dier, a naturalized Colombian citizen of American birth, with whom he has been together since 1997.
President of Colombia
The President of Colombia is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Colombia. The office of president was established upon the ratification of the Constitution of 1819, by the Congress of Angostura, convened in December 1819, when Colombia was part of "la Gran Colombia"...
Virgilio Barco Vargas
Virgilio Barco Vargas
Virgilio Barco Vargas was a politician and diplomat from Colombia. He was a member of the Colombian Liberal Party and served as president of Colombia from August 7, 1986 until August 7, 1990....
. An openly out gay man, Barco has been a LGBT rights activist fighting for LGBT rights in Colombia
LGBT rights in Colombia
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender rights in Colombia have progressed since consensual homosexual activity was decriminalized in 1980 with amendments to the Criminal Code. Between February 2007 and April 2008 three rulings of the Constitutional Court granted registered same-sex couples the same...
and is the co-founder of Colombia Diversa, a NGO that advocates for legal and political representation for LGBT people in Colombia. He is also the founder of Invest in Bogotá, an investment promotion agency for Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
and Cundinamarca
Cundinamarca Department
- Origin of the name :The name of Cundinamarca comes from Kundur marqa, an indigenous expression, probably derived from Quechua. Meaning "Condor's Nest", it was used in pre-Columbian times by the natives of the Magdalena Valley to refer to the nearby highlands....
, a public-private partnership between the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, the Bogotá City Government and the Government of Cundinamarca, that aims to encourage and help investors who are exploring opportunities to invest in Bogotá.
Personal life
Virgilio was born in 1965 to Virgilio Barco VargasVirgilio Barco Vargas
Virgilio Barco Vargas was a politician and diplomat from Colombia. He was a member of the Colombian Liberal Party and served as president of Colombia from August 7, 1986 until August 7, 1990....
and his wife Carolina Isakson Proctor; he is the youngest of four children, and only son, his sisters are Carolina, Julia, and Diana. Virgilio has been in a registered de facto union
Recognition of same-sex unions in Colombia
Colombia has no laws providing for same-sex marriage. However, as a result of Constitutional Court ruling on 29 January 2009, same-sex couples can be recognised as de facto unions , which were previously available only to heterosexual couples and which provide all of the rights of marriage...
with his partner
Significant other
Significant other is colloquially used as a gender-blind term for a person's partner in an intimate relationship without disclosing or presuming anything about marital status, relationship status, or sexual orientation, as it is vague enough to avoid offense by using a term that an individual...
Andrew Dier, a naturalized Colombian citizen of American birth, with whom he has been together since 1997.