Alberto Ruiz Novoa

{{Short description|Colombian military officer and politician}}

{{Use British English|date=May 2023}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Alberto Ruiz Novoa

| image = Joven Alberto Ruiz Novoa.jpg

| caption = Alberto Ruiz Novoa

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1917|1|3}}

| birth_place = Bucaramanga, Colombia

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2017|1|14|1917|1|3}}

| death_place = Bogotá, Colombia

| nationality = Colombian

| occupation = Military and politician

| alma_mater = Military School of Cadets

| years_active = 1933{{ndash}}1965

| parents = Pedro Ruiz, Elena María Novoa

| awards = {{MilAward Stack|ROKOMM2|BSM}}

| spouse = Gloria

| module =

{{Infobox officeholder

| embed = yes

| name = Alberto Ruiz Novoa

| office1 = Minister of War of Colombia

| term_start1 = 7 August 1962

| term_end1 = 27 January 1965

| president1 = Guillermo León Valencia

| predecessor1 = Rafael Hernández Pardo

| successor1 = Gabriel Revéiz Pizarro

| office2 = Commander of the National Army of Colombia

| term_start2 = September 1960

| term_end2 = August 1962

| president2 = Alberto Lleras Camargo

| predecessor2 = Jorge Villamizar Flórez

| successor2 = Jaime Fajardo Pinzón

| office3 = Comptroller General of the Republic of Colombia

| term_start3 = November 1953

| term_end3 = September 1958

| president3 = Gustavo Rojas Pinilla
Military Junta of Government

| predecessor3 = Hernando Escallón Vargas

| successor3 = Jesús María Murgueitio

| office4 = Commander of the Colombia Battalion

| term_start4 =

| term_end4 =

| president4 = Roberto Urdaneta and Gustavo Rojas Pinilla

| predecessor4 = Jaime Polanía Puyo

| successor4 = Position abolished

| image =

}}

}}

Alberto Ruiz Novoa (born in Bucaramanga on January 3, 1917 – died in Bogotá on January 14, 2017) was a Colombian military officer and politician. As an infantry officer, he served as Minister of War during the administration of Guillermo León Valencia.

== Biography ==

Alberto was born in Bucaramanga on January 3, 1917, the son of Pedro Ruiz and Elena María Novoa. He married Gloria Espinosa González, and they were the parents of Claudia Jimena Gloria, Javier Alberto, and Sergio Andrés Ruiz Espinosa.

In June 1951, as commander of the Infantry School in Usaquén, the Commander of the National Army, Colonel Mariano Ospina Rodríguez, appointed him to replace Lieutenant Colonel Jaime Polanía Puyo at the head of the Colombian Battalion in Korea as a member of the UN Multinational Force that participated in the Korean War.

In March 1953, after surviving an attack by the Chinese army during the Battle of Hill 180, then-Lieutenant Colonel Ruiz-Novoa received the American Bronze Star for rescuing a patrol near the 38th parallel on January 24 of that same year. The medal was awarded in a ceremony at the front line by American General Arthur G. Trudeau.{{cite news|title=Colombian Colonel Wins Bronze Star |newspaper=The Times |date=1953}} Ruiz-Novoa criticized the US Army for sending all its reinforcements to the Battle of Pork Chop Hill, leaving the Colombian Battalion abandoned, which fought until it ran out of ammunition and lost 20% of its forces.United States Army Center of Military History, Korea 1951–1953, US Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1996, p. 278

In March 1958, he was promoted to Brigadier General, and on December 14, 1960, he was appointed Commander of the National Army of Colombia. In June 1961, he was promoted to Major General, and on August 7, 1962, he was appointed Minister of War.