Ernesto Samper

Ernesto Samper Pizano is a Colombian politician and academic. He served as the President of Colombia from 1994 to 1998. He also served as the Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) from 2014 to 2017. Samper is a lawyer and an economist. His life and presidency were marked by a major political scandal known as the "8000 process." This scandal involved accusations regarding illegal campaign funding.

Samper was born on August 3, 1950, in Bogotá. He comes from a family with deep roots in Colombian history. His great-great-grandfather, Teodoro Valenzuela Sarmiento, was the nephew of a hero of Colombian independence. Other relatives include the poet Rafael Pombo and the businessman Tomas Samper Brush. Samper studied at the Gimnasio Moderno in Bogotá. He earned degrees in economics in 1972 and law in 1973 from the Pontifical Xavierian University. He later conducted graduate studies in economics at Columbia University in New York City.

His political career began with various roles in government. He managed an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 1982 for Alfonso López Michelsen. Samper later served on the Bogotá City Council and in the Senate of Colombia. In 1989, he survived a violent assassination attempt. He was wounded by 11 bullets during an attack on leader José Antequera. This event resulted in near-fatal sepsis. Because of this, his later political campaigns required heavy security. He often wore bullet-proof vests and traveled with over 400 security personnel.

In 1994, Samper ran for president against Andrés Pastrana. The election used a two-round system. In the first round, about 17 million people voted. Samper received 45.2% of the vote, while Pastrana received 45%. Because no one won a majority of more than 50% plus one vote, a second round was required. The campaign team had spent its funds early and needed more money for the final three weeks. During this time, the campaign received over $6 million in cash donations from the Cali Cartel. These funds were reportedly delivered in large, colorful paper bags.

Samper won the second round on June 19, 1994. He received 50.37% of the vote compared to Pastrana's 48.64%. Shortly after his victory, a scandal emerged. Accusations were made that the Cali Cartel had funneled $3.75 million into the campaign. This became known as "The Elephant" because the problem was too large to ignore. Samper denied direct involvement. He claimed that if drug money was used, it happened "behind his back."

Investigations into the campaign led to many arrests. The prosecutor Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento led a new investigation. He found connections between the Cali Cartel and many high-ranking officials. Samper's campaign treasurer, Santiago Medina, was arrested for accepting $50,000 from a cartel front company. Medina was later convicted and sentenced to prison. Other figures, including former defense minister Fernando Botero, were also arrested or investigated. Despite these events, Samper declared a 90-day state of emergency during his presidency.

During his term, Samper also focused on the drug war. He launched an attack on cartels by targeting their finances, laboratories, and crops. In 1995, authorities arrested over 1,100 cartel members. This included leaders like Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela. The government also destroyed hundreds of drug laboratories and large amounts of coca and heroin crops. These efforts were part of a difficult period in Colombian history. The conflict had cost many lives, including thousands of police officers and soldiers.

Ultimately, the legal process regarding the campaign funding ended in Congress. Under the Colombian Constitution, only Congress can judge a president. On September 26, 1995, Samper was questioned for nine hours by the Chamber of Representatives' Accusation Commission. The commission was mostly made up of members from Samper's own party. On December 14, 1995, the commission voted against opening a formal investigation into Samper. Later, the Colombian Chamber of Representatives acquitted him with a vote of 111 to 43. This allowed him to complete his term until 1998.