Writers

Félix Artunduaga – Lawyer, writer and historian.
The outstanding writer, Félix Artunduaga, studied Law at the National University of Bogota. His most important book is General History of Caquetá, considered the best work of history from the region.
He has written other books such as My Beautiful Caquetá and The Day the Guerrilla Meddled in Florencia.
He was born in Florencia, Caquetá.

Arturo Salas – Writer and historian.
He was the winner of the Departmental Short-Story Contest in 1992 with his book Peralonso.
Another of his published books is the Caquetense Lexicon, a thorough investigation of regional identity. Among his unpublished works are Caquetense Identity and Proxemia Florentina in the Context of Caquetenses Episodes. The historian was born in Florencia in 1942.

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Musicians, Composers and Singers

Henoc Cediel Valencia – Composer, arranger and singer.
He began his music studies at a very early age. He is a composer of beautiful bambucos, pasillos, guabinas, ballads and rock music. At present, he is the director of the Departmental Band of Caquetá and the director of two pre-orchestral groups.
His musical works include Un gran amor, Que no se muera esta tierra, A mi patria, Sentimiento y Ana Elisa, among many others.
He has received numerous prizes and recognition with the Murcia and Cediel duo and the Arazá duo . He was born in Puerto Solano, in 1967.

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Outstndig People from Various Fields

Religious Figure

Reina Amparo Restrepo Missionary
Sister.
This praiseworthy missionary from the religious Order of La Consolata, has dedicated her life to building peace in areas of violence. Her mission has been to move children away from bad influences and to teach them good habits, morality and integrity through readings and plays.
The sister was awarded, along with the teacher Beatriz Loaiza, the National Prize of Peace for her project "Circle of Childhood Readers". Reina Amparo is Antioqueña but she is considered a Caqueteña. She was born in 1950.

Artists

                       
H. ArizaL. M. CaldeñoNebulosa
Photo by E. Soriano

Heliberto Ariza – Painter.
Ariza studied Visual Arts at the Surcolombiana University of Neiva where he earned a B.A. degree.
He is a specialist in communication and creativity in teaching. His paintings have been exhibited at the Huila Institute of Culture, the Departmental Institute of Culture of Florencia (Caquetá) and at the Departmental School of Venecia (Cundinamarca).
He has been awarded the Merit of Peace Medal and the Prize for the Best Cultural Promoter of Caquetá. He was born in Morelia in 1970.

Lina María Cedeño – Painter.
The artist received a BA Degree in Visual Arts at the Surcolombiana University of Neiva and participated in a metal engraving workshop at the Art Museum in Bogota.
Her most important exhibitions have been held at the August Exhibition Hall of the Contemporary Art Museum of Bogota and at the VIII Artists Exhibition Hall of the Contemporary Art Museum of Huila, among several others. Lina María was born in Belén de los Andaquíes, in 1975.

Eduardo Soriano – Artist.
Soriano studied Plastic Arts at the Superior Academy of Arts of Bogota. His works have been exhibited individually at the Superior Academy of Arts and at the Colombo-French Alliance of Manizales. He has also participated in several collective exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art and at the Gilberto Alzate Avendaño Foundation of Bogota, in addition to other important exhibitions.
He has received several distinctions such as first prize at the Third Exhibition Hall of Visual Art in Kennedy neighborhood in Bogotá and second prize in the category of 'poster' at a Cottonart Contest in Bogota. The artist was born in Florencia in 1976.