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Home>Service> Awardees of Fervent Global Love of Lives Award> 24th Fervent Global Love of Lives Award 2021> The mother of Colombia’s anti-drug movement — Gloria Pachon
The mother of Colombia’s anti-drug movement — Gloria Pachon
Lifelong battle against drugs and corruption

“Anti-drug, anti-graft, education, are all core values of life. Nobody is an outsider, and everyone has a responsibility” — Gloria Pachon
 
An epic tale against drug cartels
 
        Born on July 22, 1935, in a journalist family in Colombia, Pachon grew up to become a noted reporter at the El Tiempo media group, the largest in the country. On December 22, 1971, she married Luis Carlos Galan, also a formidable reporter similar to Pachon, though eight years younger. Their stories were later picked up by Nobel laureate in literature Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
        Pachon and her husband devoted their lives to their work, which included journalists, minister of education, ambassador to Italy, representative at the UN, senator, and candidate for the presidency.
        Luis Carlos Galan had once garnered the support of over 70 percent of the voters. However, he was killed in an assassination on 8:45 pm on August 18, 1989 by guerilla forces and the drug cartel. This incident shocked Pachon and motivated her to take on the drug cartels in Colombia.
        In September 1989, Pachon, who was a representative for UNESCO, took her three sons: 17-year-old son Juan Manuel Galan Pachon, 15-year-old Claudio Mario Galan Pachon and 13-year-old Carlos Fernando Galan Pachon to France. Apart from advocating for eliminating illiteracy in third world countries and influence of drugs, she also promoted basic human rights, and breathed life into poor communities through education.
        She never remarried. From 1993 to 1995, Pachon assumed the role of Colombia’s ambassador to France. She was also a loving mother, and a strict father figure, who ensured her three sons succeeded in school and later their careers.
        The elder son Juan later became the vice-minister of education for Colombia and a senator. Claudio is the president of an NGO dedicated to create jobs for teenagers and generating new innovations for economic development.
        The youngest son made a fruitful career in journalism and politics. He was the highest-ranking Councilor in Bogota, and was named president of Cambio Radical in 2013.
        The hardest achievement perhaps is Gloria Pachon’s lifelong dedication battling drugs and corruption, using education to change the world, and promoting truth-telling as the paramount decree for journalists. On August 18, 2019, after 30 years of investigation, Pachon published a book detailing the assassination of her husband, which later shocked Latin America and rest of the world.
 
A literary war on the drug cartel
 
August 18, 1989, when Colombia is getting ready to meet its new president Luis Carlos Galan, the president candidate was assassinated by the hit squad sent by Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria.
At the time, Escobar had controlled 80 percent of the heroine trade in the US, and was listed one of the world’s seven richest person by Fortune magazine. He was the world’s most notorious and infamous drug lord. To avoid repatriation to the US, Escobar ordered his men to publically confront the government, and kidnapped 10 prominent figures including the editor in chief for El Tiempo, daughter of the former president and others.
Of the 10 people kidnaped, two were killed in the process, prompting Gabriel Garcia Marquez to write the famous book News of a Kidnapping. The book described the real and brutal treatments against the kidnaped victims, as well as the subsequent heroic rescue in poetic details. He also depicted a country that had suffered at the hands of the drug lords and economic crisis. Nobody, whether a president or a peasant, were safe from the turmoil.
 
Daughter of a journalist
 
        On June 22, 1935, Gloria Pachon was born into a journalist family in Bogota, Colombia. The 1930s had witnessed two great historical events: the great depression and World War II.
        The country has been deeply affected by these two great moments in history, despite being geographically distant from their epicenters. Pachon’s childhood was also touched by these turbulent events.
        Her father, Alvaro Pachon Delatorre, came from an affluent family, and he sent his daughter Gloria to Colombia University to pursue her career in journalism. However, the family’s business went bankrupt, and the man of the household had to juggle between jobs to earn a basic living.
        Eventually, Gloria’s family returned to Colombia. Alvaro reported the war to the nation’s people, and set up a bimonthly magazine to publish both success and failures of the war, and sing praise to their hero: Winston Churchill.
        Alvaro wanted to escape the traditions of the time, while his wife hoped to preserve the social norm. The children drew up with very different ideas. After homeschooling for some years, Gloria went to a traditional catholic school.
        She and her father did many things together. They read the Arabian Nights, short stories by Charles Dickens and works by other prominent authors. They also enjoyed opera and ballet performances at the capital.
        Even in elementary school, Gloria’s father had discussed with her about the role of the state and political violence, more specially, the violence of the conservative party. He talked about how ultraconservative forces that pushed her grandparents to immigrate to the US, and how he became a champion of liberal views and a fierce opponent of violence.
        In the late 1940s, the conservative violence, though did not directly affect the daily lives of the people in Bogota. Gloria and her family knew how the damage was being done, especially on the nation’s agricultural development and people’s livelihoods.
        On April 9, 1948, when Gloria was in class, she heard someone yelled her anti-violence hero, Jorge Eliecer Gaitan Ayala, was killed. Alvaro rushed to the streets looking for his daughters and took them home. There was screaming, crying, and violence against innocent bystanders on the streets. The situation escalated quickly, and within hours, the city was engulfed in fire as people were wounded and killed.
 
 
 
A pause for the writing hand
 
        Since then, Gloria’s life changed. Her father remained a journalist and a fervent writer, publishing stories about the love of life, as well as inspiring profiles of famous people around the world.
        Gloria admired her father’s work and wanted to grow up just like him, writing bold stories on the printed page. But her writing skill was lackluster at the time, just when Gloria’s parents were considering where to send their daughter to study, the earnings from the father’s profile pieces had arrived.
        They sent Gloria to study at Alma College near Toronto, Canada. On September 1952, when Alvaro was waving his daughter goodbye, they did not realize this was the last time they would see each other.
        College life was easy for Gloria, and she regularly received updates from her father via mail. In the mail, Alvaro encouraged her to exceed both in academics and sports for he believed these are important part of a complete education.
        When Gloria returned from a trip in Paris, her school’s principle and teacher broke the news to her that Alvaro had been seriously injured in a car accident. Gloria had trouble accepting this sad fact, nor did she want to relinquish her education, but eventually she had to return home.
        When Gloria made it to NYC, a family relative told her that Alvaro had passed away. Gloria’s mother later filled in the detail about her father’s death. She told Gloria that her father was killed on March 21, Alvaro and two of his colleagues were driving to an interview, when they detoured and the car drove off a bridge. There was no warning sign. Local media mourned their tragic deaths, especially for her father, who was a renowned journalist.
 
Shouldering the family
 
After Gloria Pachon returned, not only she had to deal with the tragic loss, but also take up the duty of taking care of the family. Gloria, along with her sister and mother, opened a small flower shop using the insurance money from her father. It was a popular business at the time, and for months, they created everything from funeral wreaths to rose bouquets to decorations for religious and school events.
        But their business did not last long. There was construction going on constantly surrounding their little shop, making it difficult for customers to access the shop. Their already shaky financial situation suffered again due to the inconvenience.
        On March 23, 1953, two days after Alvaro passed away, the last piece written by him was published on the newspaper. It was about profile about a senior columnist who wrote biting political commentary for the El Tiempo, which commanded great influence in Colombia’s political discourse.
        This piece rekindled Gloria’s passion for journalism. She then applied for a position at El Tiempo, and the editors asked her to write a story to test her ability. Gloria proceeded to write a piece on the abandoned child protection agencies in Bogota.
        A few days later, Gloria was surprised to find her story published by the newspaper. Everyone respected her father and her presence for living shown in her writing. After getting into the news organization, she was trained by her father’s colleagues.
        Under the generous guidance of her co-workers, Gloria not only had a clear grasp on the fate of the nation, but also had a stronger believe in her liberal ideals. She promoted the freedom of thoughts, and lashed out against social injustice and human rights violations created by the conservative power in the country.
        The social unrest eventually led to a coup, led by general Gustavo Rojas Pinilla. He promised to collaborate with every political player in the country, but as time went by, his ultraconservative stand turned him into a real dictator. But at the same time, he made some contribution to the nation’s infrastructure and scientific development. He even granted women universal suffrage.
        However, the authoritative regime clamped on free speech and criticism against the government. El Tiempo was the most important newspaper for the nation, where Gloria’s career began, and the government threatened to shut it down. The newspaper only escaped its demise when another news agency from a different city rushed to its aid.
 
News Prince to the rescue
        Unfortunately, the regime’s suppression on free speech only worsen over time. On June 8, 1954, a liberal student was killed by a gunshot. The next day, thousands of students took to the streets, leaving to more people killed.
In this unstable time, the various heads of the government parties from both political spectrum gathered to discuss the possibility to create a new government, one that upholds peace and balance of powers. During this period, thanks to help by the editors, Gloria’s expertise grew by the day. She began working in radio and television, and befriended many female writers and politicians.
        But Gloria’s passion still lied in print media, so she joined the international news division to cover geopolitics. In 1965, three young scientists joined the news team, one of which is Gloria’s future husband Luis Carlos Galon, but he didn’t catch Gloria’s eyes at the time.
        Luis came from a reputable family that had lineage back to the nation’s independence from Spain. One of things that made him stood out was his ability. At age 23, he tackled some of the toughest news subject at that time, thus his friends dubbed him the moniker News Prince.
        But what attracted Gloria the most is his maturity, and proclivity for liberal thinking. These ideals of justice, freedom, and equal rights eventually became Luis’s calling card as he pursued a political career. He launched a student movement to support the most important liberal politicians at the time, and propelled Carlos Lleras Restrepo to the presidency in 1966.
        The newly minted president appointed Luis as a Colombia’s representative to the United National Trade and Development Conference, set to take place in New Delhi on March 29, 1968.
        A few weeks later, Gloria received news from Luis telling her about how great India was, and she wanted to visit the country soon. During the 1960s, Gloria had reported on numerous historical events, including the state visit by US president John F Kennedy and his wife on December 1961, followed by French general Charles de Gaulle’s visit on September 1964.
        Gloria and Luis collaborated when reporting on the visit of Pope Paul VI, the first pontiff to visit South America, on August, 1968. It was one of the most enjoyable coverage of their lives.
        Gloria often held gatherings with colleagues at their homes or cafes. One time, when Luis attended one of the gathering at Gloria’s home, he said he immediately recognized Gloria because he had once bought flowers from her shop years ago.
        Gloria and Luis quickly became friends due to shared interests and ideals, and this comradery grew into love. However, their relationship was frowned upon by the society because Luis was 23 years old, and Gloria was already 31. Moreover, Luis just graduated from college at the time, whereas Gloria had been working for over a decade.
        On July 20, 1969, Gloria and Luis were watching television at her home. Luis wanted to express his affection at that moment, but back downed fearing social backlash, yet the message of love was evident. A few days later, when Gloria was in a trip to Mexico, she received a letter from Luis confessing his love.
        But the lovebirds united in a troubling time. In 1970, Colombia was again engulfed in violent protests and cutthroat political competition that threatened its democratic establishment. Gustavo Rojas Pinilla stepped down as president, but partnered with ally parties to create a new coalition named National Popular Alliance to pursue the presidency.
 
United front
 
        The 1970 election was won by conservative politician Misael Pastrana Borrero, who immediately appointed Luis as the minister of education. Gloria helped Luis to fulfill his political goals of bringing education to the young and impoverished.
        But Luis’s tenure was plagued by conflicts. People was dissatisfied over his agenda of pouring educational resources into the rural regions. But Luis believed political education is essential for the people to foster a sense of national responsibility.
        On December 22, 1971, when Luis’s tenure was coming to an end, Gloria and Luis married in private wedding. On June 1972, Luis was appointed the Colombia ambassador to Italy, so Gloria resigned from her journalist post to assist her husband.
        Their eldest son Juan was born shortly after Luis took office. On April 21, 1974, Luis renewed his ambassadorship to Italy, and his second son, Claudio Pachon, was born on October 21. By December 1975, Luis and his family returned to Colombia to face an uncertain future.
        Gloria and Luis returned to journalism, working in a magazine and news agency respectively. On June 4, 1976, their third son Carlos Pachon was born in Bogota. But it was a dangerous time in Colombia. When Gloria and Luis were busy with their work, they had made enemies with the drug cartel, corrupted police and dangerous guerilla forces.
        In 1978, Luis was nominated to take part in the senator race. It was this time that he got a chance to learn about all the countys in Colombia. Luis was different than all the other politicians, for he didn’t care about speeches, but upheld democracy. His rhetoric against the ruling party had painted a target on his back, and his life was in constant danger.
 
Sacrificed for the greater good
 
        Throughout the years, Luis have cultivated a following of like-minded liberal supporters, and in 1980, he tried to elect as a councilor in Bogota. He took a firm anti-drug stance, though he did not win, he had got his message across to the people.
        But many of his supporters, from lawyers to reporters were killed by the drug cartel. This made Luis to reconsider his stance, and he fled to London to study at Oxford University, leaving Gloria at home to handle his party.
        In June, 1987, Luis returned and was willing to collaborate with his critics. This was the only way for him to gather enough support to have a shot at the presidency and hopefully change the entire political landscape of the country.
        On August 18, 1989, Luis was holding a political rally in a city near the capital, and was assassinated. Gloria and her children were devastated by the news, but they swore to investigate and bring the culprits to justice.
        At this time, Gloria was appointed as a representative to UNESCO, so she and her family traveled to Paris and hoped to monitor the situation aboard. After 30 years, justice had been served, and the conspiracy surrounding the murder was slowly unearthed.
 
Interview with Gloria Pachon
 
On August 18, 2019, Gloria published her book detailing the murder. She was interviewed by El Tiempo, and the following is the edited transcript. She told media that she knew about the dangerous situation Luis was in, but he stood by his ideal and paid the ultimate price. “I want to try my best to preserve Luis’s legacy, and bring hope to the Colombia people.”
 
Q: Luis has died for 30 years, and this incident still troubles the nation, what are your thoughts?
 
A: We are constantly facing all kinds of tragedies. On one hand, the death of Luis saddened me greatly, but on the other hand, his thought, his legacy and commitment, are still encouraging. We haven’t complete his ideals yet, but I believe one day we can.
 
Q: What happened over the past 30 years?
 
A: If we are talking about Colombia, it has made some progress. But some issues, such as drugs, corruption and lack of education are worsening.
 
Q: How has Luis’s legacy impacted your children?
 
A: We still remember it as if were yesterday. We still remember his dream of fighting drug, corruption, and promote education for the people. He is still with us, and being able to share his ideas with the world, I feel grateful. Our children are the embodiment of their father’s noble cause.
 
Q: What are some of Luis’s legacy that are relevant today?
 
A: there are still many issues left unresolved, such as corruption and drug. These issues should be tackled. The political culture of the country also needs to change. Luis’s ideals are still attractive to this day. This is why people still remember him, because he touched the hearts and minds of the people. His work is not finished.
 
Q: how did you know Luis?
 
A: I worked at El Tiempo for over a decade. In 1963, I met Luis. He was a young reporter and our friendship began in the newsroom. We shared similar opinions on many political issues. He loved freedom, so am I. This propelled us into friends, and later into marriage.
 
Q: What was he like when you first met him?
 
A: He was very shy in person. But when talk about politics, literature and the problems of the country, he became very articulate and convincing. But he is very shy in other matters.
 
Q: what made you fall in love with him?
 
A: His demeanor, his actions and thoughts. I felt like he knew me for a long time. But I honestly don’t know why I fell for him in the first place. There were no flowers, no dates, he just told me one that that he loved me, and we should be together. I guess I was drawn to him just like any other Colombian, his wisdom, his speeches. He is also a very approachable man. And I only appreciated him more when we became a family.
 
Q: how do you two discuss politics?
 
A: we talk with facts. We agreed that we cannot let drug cartels run the country. One quality I admire about him is that he will keep fighting even if he knew the task was insurmountable. I feared for him, because it could lead to retaliation.
 
Q: how were you family situation?
 
A: He didn’t have much time with the kids due to his job. But later the children accompanied him during various events. This is why all of our children eventually got into politics. We think about politics 24 hours a day. We didn’t think much about the hardship on the election road. But for the children, it could be quite difficult. We accepted it, and believed it was part of life.
 
Even if he only spent a little time with us, he used these time to the fullest and grant us with many knowledge and determination. He changed all our lives
 
Q: what can the Colombian people learn from Luis?
 
A: we need politicians like him, who is willing to sacrifice his life to fight corruption and drugs. We hope the people can uphold his aspirations, and work together for a brighter future.
 
Interview with Gloria’s children
 
Q: how did your mother coped with the loss of his husband?
 
A: She did so primarily through work, by keeping her busy. She took up many positions, and had great interest in media, education and cultural work. Another incident was the kidnapping of our aunt, this motivated her. The whole incident was later written into a book.
 
Q: how are your lives before and after your father’s death?
 
A: Before the assassination, our father is the center of the family. We siblings will follow him around on his campaign trail. We are from a middle-class family, but father told us that we should fight for the people from the rural region, fight against drug and corruption.
 
After the assassination, we moved to Paris and started over. It was a big change for our lives. We didn’t know French, and it was hard to get admitted into local universities. Life in Paris is a bit tough.
 
Q: how is life after turning to Colombia?
 
A: Our mother was very absorbed in her work. She has a keen sense for media and loved to talk politics with ours. This helped pave the ways for us to go into politics, and she gave us many great advice. Our mother also focused on writing her book on the murder over the past 30 years. She had to dig up records and interview many people. It was very hard work. We helped with the book as well. Now our mother has retired, but she loves reading and writing, and is still a vocal advocate for education and battling drug and corruption.
 
Q: what are your aspirations for this country?
 
A: Our mother had a tough life. Our grandfather died in a car accident, she had to work at a very young age. She opened a flower shop where she met our father. They met again when working in media, and they fell in love.
 
Our mother is very optimistic about the future of the country. Colombia is not just about drugs and wars, it also has so much more to offer. All the hardship she endured throughout her life has made her strong, optimistic and full of positive energy.
 
She is a very strong woman who can take up big responsibility. These qualities have a huge effect on us. We hope to carry on our father’s will, and help transform the country into a more modern, democratic, and just nation. Right now economic inequality is plaguing our country, we hope to turn it into a more wealthy nation, so that everybody can have access to food, medicine and education.
 
 
The wheelchair-bound Spanish politician — Ignacio Tremino Gomez
Speak for the public, Serve for the people
“God let me live through a car accident, so that I can serve the people. This is the best thing God can give me,” — Ignacio Tremino Gomez
 
Brothers across the globe
 
Ignacio Tremino Gomez was born in Valladolid, Spain, on January 29, 1966. He studied law at the Valladolid University, but was paralyzed from the waist down due to a car accident.
During his time at the hospital, Ignacio got to know the local disability assistant groups. He opened his heart and vowed to stay positive in life. He completed his law degree via online learning, and even received a master degree in business management.
He helped found the ASPAYM, an organization dedicated to helping disabled people to earn equal rights, basic freedom and social respect. Ignacio later became the president of ONCE charity lottery, and hired over 35,000 disabled employees. With an annual earning of over 800 million euros, it is the largest charity lottery of its kind in Europe.
Ignacio’s political career also took off. He was voted into the member of the congress of Deputies of Spain, a position on which he advocated for more rights and respect for the disabled. He promoted social awareness for disabled people, and encourage everyone to love themselves, others and the Earth.
 
A city of glory and love
 
        Valladolid is a historic city in Spain and home to many prominent nobles, politicians, artists, elites and others. Ignacio was the embodiment of this city’s legacy and spirit.
        He said the city was founded during the 11 century Medieval period, by Alfonso VI, who entrusted it to Pedro Ansurez. After two centuries of development, the small village became a key city of Kingdom of Castilla.
In 1255, Alfonso X issued the Fuero Real. The same century, this place gave birth to modern university education. In the 14th century, Real Chancilleria as well as the San Benito El Real were established here, making Valladolid one of the key centers for the Spanish monastic reform.
The city right now has around 600,000 residents, and has become a provincial capital and modern city. People here enjoyed high standard of living due to its convenient geography: close proximity to the Spanish capital Madrid, and the costa cantabricas region. Moreover, it is home to many natural wonders and cultural sites, making Valladolid one of the most attractive city to visit.
 
A blessing in disguise
 
        When Ignacio was at his junior year in college, he suffered a severe car accident and became paralyzed from the waist down. For such a promising young man, the thought of living with a wheel-chair for the rest of his life was devastating. Fortunately, he was not alone, and his family has encouraged him even to this day.
        After spending a year in a hospital, he was transferred to a recovery center in Aylesbury in central England. There he met with many NGO personnel who were helping people with disabilities, and through their help, Ignacio regained his faith for living and vowed to help others like him.
        He once said that days after the accident, he lived in denial and still had a hope of walking again. But only when accepting the cruel fate that he truly began cherishing everything around him, and start reaping the new opportunities his new life provides.
        Despite his disability, he completed his law degree through online learning, and later earned a master in business management from a Spanish business school.
 
Helping those in needs
 
In 1992, after years of helping people with disabilities, Ignacio established ASPAYM. The organization serves over 1,200 people every month in the past decades. It has five locations throughout the country, and employed around 250 staffs. The organization is dedicated to helping people with disabilities to find employment. In 1997, Ignacio founded the ONCE charity lottery to raise funds and help blinded people integrate better into society.
 
Speaker for the people
 
        In 1998, Ignacio entered politics. The 2013 Spanish financial recession had undermined funding for social programs. However, Ignacio still pushed for legislation supporting people with disabilities, as well as eliminating institutional discrimination. He worked hard to create a friendly and inclusive social environment for people with disabilities to integrate into society.
        In his personal life, Ignacio has been an optimistic and honest person. Before going to bed, he would ask himself has he hurt anyone, either intentionally or unintentionally. If yes, he would apologize to the person the next day.
He values sports despite his condition. He believes it can help improve his work efficiency and foster teamwork, self-love and determination. Ignacio said the car accident has changed his perspective, and allowed him to live a more fulfilling life.