Luis Carlos Restrepo Ramírez

{{Short description|Colombian politician}}

{{family name hatnote|Restrepo|Ramírez|lang=Spanish}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Luis Carlos Restrepo Ramírez

| image = Luis Carlos Restrepo (2007).jpg

| caption =

| order = 5th

| office = High Commissioner for Peace (Colombia){{!}}High Commissioner for Peace of Colombia

| term_start = {{Start date|2002|08|07|df=yes}}

| term_end = {{End date|2009|03|05|df=yes}}

| president = Álvaro Uribe Vélez

| predecessor = Camilo Gómez Alzate

| successor = Frank Joseph Pearl González

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|01|24|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Filandia, Caldas, Colombia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = Colombian

| party =

| spouse =

| children =

| alma_mater = {{Plainlist|

• National University of Colombia (MBBS, )
• Pontifical Xavierian University (MPhil, )

}}

| profession = Psychiatrist

| signature =

| signature_alt =

| website = {{url|http://luiscarlosrestrepo.com}}

}}

Luis Carlos Restrepo Ramírez (born 24 January 1954) is a Colombian psychiatrist and philosopher, who served as the 5th High Commissioner for Peace of Colombia from August 2002 to March 2009.

While in Office, he was in charge of the controversial demobilization and disarmament of 32,000 paramilitaries of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia and 13,000 guerrilla fighters.{{cite web|title=Justicia o persecución?|url=http://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/justicia-persecucion/253313-3/|publisher=Revista Semana|access-date=1 July 2016|date=11 July 2012}}

For some time, the Government of Colombia considered him a fugitive,{{cite web|last=Ohlsen Pettersson|first=Olle |title=Arrest warrant confirmed for Colombia's ex-peace commissioner|url=http://colombiareports.com/arrest-warrant-confirmed-for-colombias-ex-peace-commissioner/|publisher=Colombia Reports|access-date=4 July 2013|date=30 July 2012}}{{cite journal|title=¿Dónde está Luis Carlos Restrepo?|journal=Semana|date=19 January 2013|url=http://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/donde-esta-luis-carlos-restrepo/330074-3|access-date=4 July 2013|location=Bogotá|issn=0124-5473|oclc=7475329|language=es|trans-title=Where is Luis Carlos Restrepo?}}{{cite journal|title=Juez ordena captura de Luis Carlos Restrepo|journal=Semana|date=9 February 2012|url=http://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/juez-ordena-captura-luis-carlos-restrepo/253160-3|access-date=4 July 2013|location=Bogotá|issn=0124-5473|oclc=7475329|language=es|trans-title=Judge orders capture of Luis Carlos Restrepo}} after the Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia issued an international arrest warrant after Restrepo left the country on 8 January 2012 on a flight bound to the United States; his current whereabouts remain unknown, but he is presumed to have obtained political asylum in Canada.{{cite web|title=Luis Carlos Restrepo consiguió asilo en Canadá|url=http://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/luis-carlos-restrepo-consiguio-asilo-en-canada/402054-3|publisher=Revista Semana|access-date=1 July 2016|date=14 August 2014}}

Restrepo, who was accused of faking the demobilization of a FARC military unit in 2006, is charged by the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia with conspiracy to commit crime; embezzlement; and arms possession, trafficking, and manufacturing. Restrepo, who was one of the closest allies of the President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, has denied the allegations made against him, and accused the Administration of President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón of mounting a political persecution against him; in this he receives the backing and support of former President Uribe. However, on September 23, 2013, Colombia's Prosecutor General dropped the arrest warrant against Restrepo.{{Cite web | url=http://colombiareports.co/colombia-drops-arrest-warrants-former-peace-commissioner/ | title=Colombia Reports }}

From his exile, Restrepo has shown support for the current Peace talks of President Juan Manuel Santos with FARC rebels.{{cite web|title=Santos pide a uribistas escuchar a Restrepo|url=http://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/santos-respalda-luis-carlos-restrepo/413129-3|publisher=Revista Semana|access-date=1 July 2016|date=22 December 2014}}