Fuad Char
{{short description|Colombian politician (born 1937)}}
{{family name hatnote|Char|Abdala|lang=Spanish}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Fuad Char
| image = Fuad Char.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| office = Senator of Colombia
| term_start = 20 July 2010
| term_end = 20 July 2014
| term_start2 = 20 July 1998
| term_end2 = 20 July 2006
| term_start3 = 20 July 1990
| term_end3 = 20 April 1995
| office4 = Colombian Ambassador to Portugal
| term_start4 = {{start date|2008|9|30|df=y}}
| term_end4 = {{end date|2009|6|5|df=y}}
| president4 = Álvaro Uribe
| predecessor4 = Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza
| successor4 = Arturo Sarabia
| office5 = Minister of Economic Development
| term_start5 = 1987
| term_end5 = 1988
| president5 = Virgilio Barco
| predecessor5 = Miguel Merino Gordillo
| successor5 = Carlos Arturo Marulanda
| office6 = 48th Governor of Atlántico
| term_start6 = 1984
| term_end6 = 1987
| appointer6 = Belisario Betancur
| predecessor6 = Abel Francisco Carbonell
| successor6 = Gerardo Certain
| birth_name = Fuad Ricardo Char Abdala
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1937|10|05|df=y}}
| birth_place = Lorica, Córdoba, Colombia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Radical Change (2006-present)
| otherparty = Liberal (1984-2006)
| spouse = {{Unbulleted list
|{{marriage|Adela Chaljub|29 June 1963|13 July 1994|reason=died}}
|{{marriage|María Mercedes de la Espriella|2004}}
}}
| children = {{hlist|Arturo|Alejandro|Antonio|}}
}}
Fuad Ricardo Char Abdala (born 5 October 1937) is a Colombian businessman and politician who served as Governor of Atlántico from 1984 to 1987, as Minister of Economic Development from 1987 to 1988 under President Virgilio Barco, and later as Colombian Ambassador to Portugal from 2008 to 2009 under President Álvaro Uribe. Char also served as a Senator of Colombia three times, being one of the highest-ranking.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lasillavacia.com/quien-es-quien/fuad-char-abdala/|title=Fuad Char|access-date=21 March 2025|date=12 February 2021|website=La Silla Vacía}}
Born in Lorica, Córdoba, Char is one of the most powerful businessmen in Colombia and the entire Caribbean region of the country. He is the founder and current president of the Olimpica Business Group. Of Syrian origin, he is the patriarch of one of the most influential families in Atlántico; his descendants have been known for their active work in politics. His eldest son, Alejandro, has been Mayor of Barranquilla three times, and his younger son, Arturo, was President of the Senate.
Early life, marriage and family
Fuad Ricardo Char Abdala was born on 5 October 1937, in Lorica, Córdoba,{{Cite web|url=https://lachachara.org/fuad-char-forjador-de-una-historia-de-exitos-2/|title=Fuad Char, forjador de una historia de éxitos|access-date=15 April 2025|date=5 October 2024|website=La Cháchara}} to Syrian migrants Roberto Char and Erlinda Abdala de Char (née Abdala Chadjur). His father, was originally from Damascus, Syria, and had migrated to Colombia in late 1926,{{Cite journal|url=https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=85131029008|title=Llenando el vacío: el surgimiento de los Colombo Arabes como actores políticos en Barranquilla y la región Caribe|access-date=16 July 2014|date=14 May 2014|issue=41|pages=211–241|issn=0121-8697|last=Di Ricco|first=Massimo|journal=Revista Derecho}} settling in Lorica, Córdoba, which was then home to the largest colony of migrants from Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eje21.com.co/2015/04/breve-historia-de-fuad-char/|title=Breve historia de Fuad Char|access-date=12 April 2025|date=19 April 2015|website=eje21}} Fuad has four auncles: Jabib, Farid, Simón, and Ricardo Jr.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/75fda87e-d653-11e9-8d46-8def889b4137|title=Alcaldesa de Barranquilla deja el cargo con buenos ojos|access-date=19 December 2023|date=29 October 2019|last=Long|first=Gideon|newspaper=Financial Times}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.semana.com/quienes-son-la-familia-char/608494/|title=¿Quiénes son los Char?|access-date=19 December 2023|date=7 April 2019|website=Semana}}
In June 1963, he married his first cousin, Adela Chaljub,{{Cite web|url=https://www.las2orillas.co/adela-chaljub-la-matrona-ausente-en-la-familia-char/|title=Adela Chaljub, la matrona ausente en la familia Char|access-date=12 March 2023|date=11 March 2023|website=Las 2 Orillas}} daughter of Antonio Chaljub of Lebanese origin and his aunt Rosa Char de Chaljub (née Char Zaslawy), with whom he had three sons, Alejandro, Arturo, and Antonio.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pulzo.com/nacion/adelita-chaljub-char-quien-fue-que-tiene-que-ver-con-junior-PP2799393|title=Quién fue Adelita de Char y por qué su nombre aparece en clínicas y hasta en sede de Junior|access-date=14 May 2023|date=12 May 2023|website=Pulzo}} Adela died in July 1994 at the age of 51 due to a bone disease.{{Cite journal|url=http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-269004|title=Murió la Mamá de los Char en Barranquilla|access-date=22 March 2025|date=19 January 2024|journal=El Tiempo}}{{Cite journal|url=http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-383996|title=En Bogotá|access-date=17 April 2024|date=7 January 1996|journal=El Tiempo}}