They confirm the death of Horacio Serpa Uribe

Several politicians and journalists, through social networks, have confirmed the death of the liberal politician Horacio Serpa, 77, who died in the city of Bucaramanga in the department of Santander.

It is known that since last year the former congressman suffered from colon and pancreatic cancer, in addition to other complications in your health. His son, also a politician, Horacio José Serpa confirmed his death on social networks.

The Liberal Party, in which he was active for years, also mourned his death:

President Iván Duque also regretted the news of the politician and assured that “I visited him a few months ago at his home.” He stressed that Serpa was always a gentleman and asked for a minute of silence for the politician.

César Gaviria, Horacio Serpa’s party partner, expressed his solidarity with the Samper family through a video and assured that his death leaves “a great void in the party and in the country.”

Horacio Serpa stood out for being Minister of the Interior during the government of Ernesto Samper and presidential candidate for the Liberal Party in 1998, 2002 and 2006. In addition, he was former president of the 1991 Constituent Assembly and former congressman.

In his first candidacy for the presidency in 1998, he was the one in which he came closest, since he occupied the first position in the first round, but lost to Andrés Pastrana in the second. Then in 2002 he lost against former president Álvaro Uribe VélezAt that time, Serpa assured that he would not try to occupy the House of Nariño, but he would still have one more attempt.

In 2006 he again faced Uribe for the Presidency and This would be the last attempt by the liberal politician to try to occupy the most important popular election position in the country.

In 2007 he became the governor of the department of Santander and in 2014 he got the largest vote in Congress for the Liberal Party. It was characterized by defending the peace agreement proposed by President Juan Manuel Santos.

During the government of Ernesto Samper, Serpa was one of his great defenders for the accusations of receiving money from drug trafficking, what was known as the “8000 process.”

In an interview with Noticias Caracol, former president Ernesto Samper confirmed that “Unfortunately he could not win the battle against cancer.” Samper recalled that Serpa defended him from the accusations for the “8000 process”, which is why he described it as his “faithful squire of great battles, the country loses a symbol man. Horacio was a person consistent with his ideas, loyal. (…) I met him very early in my political career, he will be very much needed in the country. “

The politician had retired from politics to live with his wife in his homeland, Bucaramanga.

These are some reactions from Colombian politicians:

News in development …