Guillermo Gaviria Correa
Guillermo Gaviria Correa | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 27, 1962 Medellín, Colombia |
| Died | May 5, 2003 (aged 40) Colombia |
| Cause of death | Homicide |
| Occupation | Governor of Antioquia |
| Known for | Kidnapping and murder by FARC guerillas |
Guillermo Gaviria Correa (November 27, 1962, Medellín – May 5, 2003) was the state governor of Antioquia, a province of over 6 million people in northwestern Colombia. Kidnapped by FARC guerrillas during a march against violence on April 21, 2002, he was held captive for over a year deep in the northwestern Colombian jungle, bordering between Antioquia and Chocó, until he was killed there by the FARC along with other nine fellow hostages, including the politician and former Minister of defense, Gilberto Echeverri Mejía, in response to an attempted military rescue on May 5, 2003. Gaviria Correa's letters survived his execution, and were published as Diary of a Kidnapped Colombian Governor. His gubernatorial agenda also survived, carried on by his younger brother Anibal. Gaviria Correa was nominated posthumously for the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, but did not receive the prize that year.