Carlos Lemos Simmonds

Carlos Apolinar Lemos Simmonds (October 23, 1933 – July 30, 2003) was the sixth Vice President of Colombia.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Lemos and the second or maternal family name is Simmonds.
Carlos Apolinar Lemos Simmonds
6th Vice President of Colombia
In office
September 19, 1996 – August 7, 1998
PresidentErnesto Samper Pizano
Preceded byHumberto de la Calle Lombana
Succeeded byGustavo Bell Lemus
23rd Colombia Ambassador to the United Kingdom
In office
15 November 1995 – 1997
PresidentErnesto Samper Pizano
Preceded byNoemí Sanín Posada
Succeeded byHumberto de la Calle Lombana
Colombia Ambassador to Austria
In office
1995–1996
PresidentErnesto Samper Pizano
Preceded byAlfonso Gómez Méndez
Minister of Government of Colombia
In office
1989–1990
PresidentVirgilio Barco Vargas
Preceded byOrlando Vásquez Velásquez
Succeeded byHoracio Serpa Uribe
33rd Minister of Communications of Colombia
PresidentVirgilio Barco Vargas
Preceded byPedro Martín Leyes
Succeeded byEnrique Daníes Rincones
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia
In office
March 12, 1981 – August 7, 1982
PresidentJulio César Turbay Ayala
Preceded byDiego Uribe Vargas
Succeeded byRodrigo Hernán Lloreda Caicedo
Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia
In office
20 July 1974 (1974-07-20) – 20 July 1978 (1978-07-20)
ConstituencyCauca Department
Personal details
Born(1933-10-23)23 October 1933
Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
Died30 July 2003(2003-07-30) (aged 69)
Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
Political partyLiberal
Spouse(s)
  • Martha Blanco Guauke (1985–2003)
Children
  • María Eugenia Lemos Pérez y Soto
  • Carlos José Lemos Pérez y Soto
  • María Victoria Lemos Pérez y Soto
  • Adriana Lemos Pérez y Soto
Alma materUniversity of Cauca
ProfessionLawyer

Political career

After graduating Lemos worked as a Municipal Judge in the town of Piendamó, Cauca. He later transferred to Bogotá where he was elected councilman in the early 1970s for three consecutive terms. He then ran for the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia. During the government of President Julio César Turbay Lemos was appointed as Secretary General of the Presidency of Colombia. In the same administration he was promoted to minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after that he was shifted to different ministries, Ministry of Government, Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications (Colombia).

Lemos served later as Ambassador of Colombia to the Organization of American States (OAS), drafter of the Colombian Constitution of 1991, Ambassador of Colombia to Austria, Ambassador of Colombia to Great Britain, senator, vice president and president of Colombia temporarily.

As a member of the Colombian Foreign Affairs Commission he contributed towards resolving the dispute over San Andrés y Providencia Islands in the Caribbean sea between Colombia and Nicaragua for territorial waters. He also negotiated the peace process with the M-19 guerrilla.

Personal life

Carlos Apolinar was born on 23 October 1933 in Popayán, Cauca to Antonio José Lemos Guzmán and María Antonia Simmonds Pardo. He married María Victoria Perez y Soto Bohorquez, with whom he had four children: María Eugenia, Carlos José, María Victoria, and Adriana. He later divorced Perez y Soto, and in 1987 married Marta Piedad Blanco Guauke on October 13, 1987, in the state of Virginia (U.S.), which was registered at the Consulate of Colombia in Washington, D.C., and in turn at the First Notary of Colombia; later in the light of the Civil Marriage Law in Colombia (Decree 2668 of 1988) and after the Holy See granted him the annulment of the Catholic marriage with María Victoria Pérez y Soto, (since August 2, 1993) they remarried civilly, on October 19, 1994, which was registered in Notary 27 of Bogotá, under public deed No. 11910..

Lemos died on 30 July 2003 in Bogotá, D.C. after a fight with lung cancer. In accordance with his last will and testament, he was mourned and buried privately, and did not receive a state funeral as he would have been entitled.

References
Political offices
Preceded by
Humberto De la Calle Lombana		 Vice President of Colombia
1997–1998		 Succeeded by
Gustavo Adolfo Bell Lemus
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