Armando Benedetti

Benedetti attended the Pontifical Xavierian University, and graduated with a degree in communication studies. He briefly worked as a reporter for Noticiero QAP between 1990 and 1991, and later served as political adviser to Eduardo Verano de la Rosa during the 1991 Constituent Assembly. He served as Secretary General of Public Establishments of the National Traffic and Transport Institute (Intra) between 1992 and 1993, and was later appointed deputy director of the Colombia Health Resource Company (Ecosalud), serving from 1996 to 1997.

In 1998, Benedetti was elected to the Bogotá City Council as a Liberal party candidate, and head of his electoral list. He served as Council Member until 2000, when he decided not to seek re-election in order to run for Congress.

During the 2002 parliamentary elections, Benedetti ran for a seat in the Chamber of Representatives for the circumscription of the Capital District as a Liberal candidate and head of his electoral list.{{cite web|title=Histórico de Resultados Electorales: 2002: Congreso: Votos Cámara: Curules: Bogotá|url=http://web.registraduria.gov.co/elecciones2002/e/ccamara.htm?1|publisher=Colombia, National Civil Registry|accessdate=18 June 2013|location=Bogotá|language=Spanish}} He won with 31,855 votes.

In 2006, Benedetti decided to run in the 2006 parliamentary elections, this time for a seat in the Senate, and this time as a Social Party of National Unity candidate.{{cite web|title=Histórico de Resultados Electorales: 2006: Congreso: Senado: Nacional: Partido Social de Unidad Nacional: Armando Benedetti|url=http://web.registraduria.gov.co/reselec2006/0312/index.htm|publisher=Colombia, National Civil Registry|accessdate=18 June 2013|location=Bogotá|language=Spanish}}{{Dead link|date=June 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He won a seat in the national elections with 50,356 votes.

In 2010, Benedetti was re-elected to the Senate with 81,029 votes,{{cite web|title=Histórico de Resultados Electorales: 2010: Votación por partidos: Senado |url=http://www.registraduria.gov.co/Informacion/canddidatos%20senado.pdf |publisher=Colombia, National Civil Registry |accessdate=18 June 2013 |location=Bogotá |language=Spanish |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203082839/http://www.registraduria.gov.co/Informacion/canddidatos%20senado.pdf |archivedate=3 February 2014 }} On 20 July 2010, Benedetti was elected by his peers President of the Senate. As President of the Senate, Benedetti administered the oath of office to President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón when he took office the following month on 7 August.{{Cite book|title=Political Handbook of the World 2018-2019|date=2019|publisher=CQ Press|others=Lansford.|isbn=9781544327129|edition=(Revised and Updated edition)|location=[Place of publication not identified]|oclc=1104299327}}

In August 2022, President Petro appointed Benedetti as Ambassador to Venezuela. On June 2, 2023, Ambassador Benedetti submitted a letter of resignation to President Petro after recordings of phone conversations surfaced in the media. In these, Benedetti threatened President Petro's Chief of Staff, Laura Sarabia, with releasing information regarding Petro's campaign financing that could, according to him, topple the government and send people to prison.{{Cite web |last=Semana |date=2023-06-05 |title=Explosivos audios de Benedetti a Sarabia. Dice saber la verdad sobre la campaña de Gustavo Petro en 2022, que consiguió todos los votos y que, si habla, van presos todos |url=https://www.semana.com/semana-tv/articulo/explosivos-audios-de-benedetti-a-sarabia-dice-saber-la-verdad-sobre-la-campana-de-gustavo-petro-en-2022-que-consiguio-todos-los-votos-y-que-si-habla-van-presos-todos/202336/ |access-date=2023-06-08 |website=Semana.com Últimas Noticias de Colombia y el Mundo |language=spanish}} Sarabia, who got her start in politics as an aide to Benedetti, resigned as Chief of Staff on June 2, 2023.

Armando Alberto was born on 29 August 1967 in Barranquilla, Colombia, to Armando Benedetti Jimeno and Genoveva Villaneda Jiménez.{{cite web|title=Senador Armando Alberto Benedetti Villaneda |url=http://www.congresovisible.org/congresistas/perfil/armando-alberto-benedetti-villaneda/13/ |publisher=CongresoVisible.org |accessdate=18 June 2013 |location=Bogotá |language=Spanish |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708191540/http://www.congresovisible.org/congresistas/perfil/armando-alberto-benedetti-villaneda/13/ |archivedate=8 July 2013 }}{{cite web|title=Armando Alberto Benedetti Villaneda|url=http://www.terra.com.co/elecciones_2002/congreso_2002_2006/19-07-2002/nota63231.html|publisher=Votebien.com: Elecciones 2002|accessdate=18 June 2013|language=Spanish|year=2002|archive-date=27 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427115121/http://www.terra.com.co/elecciones_2002/congreso_2002_2006/19-07-2002/nota63231.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Armando Benedetti |url=http://www.lasillavacia.com/perfilquien/19856/armando-benedetti |publisher=La Silla Vacia |accessdate=18 June 2013 |location=Bogotá |language=Spanish |date=17 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028220931/http://www.lasillavacia.com/perfilquien/19856/armando-benedetti |archivedate=28 October 2012 }}{{cite web|title=Armando Benedetti conoció el infierno|url=http://www.kienyke.com/historias/benedetti/|publisher=KienyKe|accessdate=18 June 2013|language=Spanish|date=27 October 2010|archive-date=4 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130304065824/http://www.kienyke.com/historias/benedetti/|url-status=dead}} His sister Ángela María is the current Ambassador of Colombia to Panama.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/colombian-ambassador-to-panama-named-in-corruption-scandal|title=Colombian ambassador to Panama named in corruption scandal|date=2013-06-08|website=Newsroom Panama|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-08}}

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Category:1967 births

Category:Living people

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