Who is Rodrigo Lara Sánchez, Federico Gutiérrez's vice-presidential formula

Rodrigo Lara Sánchez is the chosen one of Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, the winner of the Team's consultation for Colombia, to accompany him as vice-presidential formula in his campaign to Casa de Nariño. This was known this Saturday, March 26, after several days of expectation.

He is the eldest son of Rodrigo Lara Bonilla, who was President Belisario Betancur's Minister of Justice at the time of his assassination, on June 30, 1984 in northern Bogotá. He is the half-brother of Congressman Rodrigo Lara Restrepo, but Lara Sanchez did not have the life of a minister's son. He was barely able to meet his father twice and was not recognized in life.

According to an interview he gave to Semana Magazine, while the Lara Restrepo were able to study at universities in the capital's elite and abroad, Lara Sánchez and her mother, Lilia Sánchez, had to fight even to receive their paternal surname, which they only received until 2000 with DNA testing.

Rodrigo Lara Sánchez is a graduate of a public school and a surgeon with a specialization in General Surgery from the University of Cauca, also public. He dedicated much of his life to medical service in hospitals in Bogotá and Neiva.

Lara Sánchez's foray into political life is rather recent. In 2010 he tried to reach the Senate through the Citizen Commitment list, the same movement led by Sergio Fajardo, the candidate of the Center Hope Coalition. It had the ninth highest vote, but the significant group of citizens did not exceed the threshold to win seats.

During Antanas Mockus' presidential campaign in 2010, Rodrigo Lara Sánchez joined the Green Party and coordinated the campaign in Huila. Then, in 2016, he became the mayor of Neiva in the same period that Fico was mayor of the Antioquia capital, with the sympathy of characters such as Antonio Navarro Wolff, Enrique Peñalosa and Mockus himself.

From the Mayor's Office of Neiva, he focused on improving the health and education of his municipality and received several awards for his management. Despite this, he did not follow the path of candidates such as the three elected to reach the Presidency after a positive performance in their cities.

For a long time, the two Rodrigo Laras did not speak to each other and were on opposing political sides, as Lara Restrepo was part of the Radical Change party. Even the minister's recognized son even accused him of losing his place in 2018. However, the resurgence of New Liberalism brought them together again. Lara Sanchez told the local newspaper La Nación, where she is also a columnist, that she was proud of her relative and would support him in an eventual presidential candidacy.

Messages on social networks by Lara Sánchez suggest that she was up until a few days ago campaigning for Fajardo, her political mentor, but the election of 'Fico' as the candidate of the Team for Colombia coalition prompted her change of hall.

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