Colombia’s Liberal Party on Sunday elected Simon Gavira, the son of former President Cesar Gaviria, leader of the political collective.
Gaviria is currently chairman of the House of Respresentatives and will lead the Liberals until March 2013 when the party elects a new president.
The newly-elected leader of the Liberal Party, one of the largest fractions in President Juan Manuel Santos’ “coalition of national unity,” announced to be holding a “ideological” party congress in May to gain concencus about the party’s political line in the coming years.
Gaviria takes over the leadership of the party from Rafael Pardo, who was named Labor Minister last month.
Colombia’s Liberal Party dominated Colombian politics with their traditional rival, the Conservative Party, since its founding of Colombia in 1848 until 2001 when then-presidential hopeful Alvaro Uribe broke with the party. Uribe’s departure caused a rift in Colombia’s traditionally largest party and the formation of the U Party, which is now Colombia’s largest political party.