Presidents

President of the Republic of Colombia

Cesar Augusto Gaviria
Presidential term: 1990-1994
Born in Pereira in 1947.

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Writers, Poets and Intellectuals
(Arranged by date of birth)

Luis Carlos Gonzalez (1908-1985) – Poet.
Gonzalez Mejía was a great promoter of the paisa culture. Some of his many poems such as La ruana, Antioqueñita and Caminos de Caldas were set to music by important national composers.
He was awarded many distinctions and decorations including the Gold Star from the Government of Antioquia, the Cross of the Founders granted by the city Hall of Pereira, the Great Cross of Risaralda department, the Cross of San Carlos from the National Congress and the Great Cross of Boyacá from the Presidency of the Republic. He was born in Pereira.

Jaime Jaramillo – Writer, philosopher and professor.
One of the most respected intellectuals in the country, Dr. Jaime Jaramillo graduated in Economics and Social Sciences and went on to earn a masters in Sociology and History at the Sorbonne in Paris.
He has been a professor at the National University, Dean of the faculty of Philosophy and Letters at Los Andes University, a visiting professor at Vanderbilt, Oxford, London, and Seville Universities.
His book, Intellectual Memories, was published in 2007. His other works include Essays on Colombian Social History and The Historic Personality of Colombia.
Jaramillo was born in Abejorral in 1917, but is considered to be a Pereirano.

Oscar Echeverri (1918-2005) – Poet, linguist and journalist.
A distinguished writer, Echeverry was a member and the secretary of the Colombian Academy of Language. He authored an abridged dictionary of the Spanish language and countless poems.
He was the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including the Bernardo Aria Trujillo Prize from the government of Risaralda. He was also decorated with the Order Luis Carlos González, the Order of the Arriero, and with the Latin-American Literary Medal of Merit granted by the Latin-American Writers Confederation.
He grew up in Pereira, but was born in Ibagué.

Eduardo Lopez (1947-1998) – Essayist and poet.
López Jaramillo received great recognition for his essays Logics and Other Poems, There is a Reality in Your Eyes, Maze Roles and The Eye and the Clepsydra. He has also been praised for his translations of Constantín Cavafys' Canonical Poems of and Ezra Pound's Poems of Love of the Old Egypt. He was born in Pereira.

Cesar Valencia– Poet and essayist.
The texts of this celebrated writer include his essays Rumour of Voices, The Cultural Identity in Juan Rulfo, The Distorted Scale, and Essays on Literature and Modernity.
Much of his work has been published in Human Sciences Magazine.
Valencia was born in Pereira in 1948.

Victor Zuluaga – Historian and columnist.
Of this famous historians many books, his most recent, The New History of Pereira, was published in 2006. It is considered one of his most important works.
His other books include History of the Chamí Native Community, Unpublished Documents for the history of Caldas, Chocó and Risaralda, The Chamí and Their Contribution to the Regional Culture , Chronicles of Old Pereira, and Native Towns of Colombia.
The writer was born in Pereira.

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Actors (In Spanish)

Artists

Lucy Tejada (1920-2011) – Painter.
In 2007, to honour this great artist, more than 320 pieces of her work were shown at MIO Central Station Main Hall in Cali, including 80 oil paintings, 100 graphic works, 120 drawings and many small ceramic objects. Her work has also been exhibited in important national and international galleries.
Tejada has been the recipient of many awards. She was born in Pereira.

Hans Drews Arango (1929-1961) – Painter and architect
Admired in both the artistic and cultural world of Colombia, Drews has held many important positions including, Vice President of the Colombian Society of Architects, member of the Executive Council of the School of Fine Arts at the National University, as well as professor and dean of the Faculty of Architecture at Los Andes University.
He has participated in the construction of building in some of the most important cities in the country. Most of his pictorial works are found in private collections.
To honour his memory, the Hand Drews Arango Educational Institution, carries his name. He was born in Pereira.

Musicians and Singers

Jason Alejandro Ponce – Pianist.
The talented pianist Jason Alejandro Ponce studied at the Conservatory of Music of the National University of Colombia and received the Bachelor's degree in Music and Piano Performance with emphasis on Chamber Music. He moved to Germany to pursue graduate studies in piano at the Musikhochschule (School of Music) in Lübeck.
He performed as a pianist with the Youth Symphony Orchestra Batuta Risaralda and with the Chamber Orchestra of the Technological University of Pereira. He was a piano professor at the Conservatory of Music of the National University, he played at the Camarín del Carmen Foundation. He also performed in several music festivals.
Since 2011, he has been a piano professor at the Musikhochschule of Lübeck.
He has played as a soloist with the most famous Colombian orchestras and he has given numerous piano recitals at the most important concert halls in the country. He was born in Pereira in 1982 .

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Music and Dance Groups

Mejia y Valencia – Duet
This duet is considered to be one of the best representatives of Risaraldense music and Colombian folklore.
They have won numerous competitions like the Mono Nuñez Festival and the International Bambuco competition in Mérida, Mexico. They have also been decorated with the Great Cross of Risaralda from the government.



Michua Cultural Corporation
Formed in the City of Pereira, this dance groupe has performed on stages across the country and has represented the province at numerous festivals.The group has had a great success.   

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Sportsmen and Women

Maria Isabel Baena – Golfer.
The noted Risaraldense golfer reached a professional level at the age of 21.
She has won national and international tournaments including six consecutive seasons in the LPGA Tour from 1999 to 2004. In 2005 she was the champion of one of the most important competitions for female golfers in the world - The HSBC World Match Play Championship of the LPGA Tour. In 2006 she was honoured with the Guaymarito of Gold in recognition of her humane qualities and outstanding sports career. Baena was born in Pereira in 1977.

Sara López – Archery
GOLD MEDAL in archery. Lopez won the first-ever compound women's title at the Pan American Games that took place in Lima, Peru 2019.
GOLD MEDAL in archery in Samsun, Turkey 2018.
She previously won the event in 2014, 2015 and 2017.
Sara was born in Pereira in 1995.

Alfonso Zapata – Chess player.
This great player has achieved important triumphs in national and international tournaments.
In 1984 he received the title of “Great Master” at an international tournament in Cuba. He is the only Colombian to win the title. Zapata was born in Pereira in 1958.

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Beauty Queen " Miss Universe " –1958–

                 


Luz Marina Zuluaga
She was Miss Caldas in 1957 and first runner up at Miss Colombia Beauty Paegeant. She was crowned Miss Universe in 1958.
She was born in Pereira in 1938 when that city was part of Caldas Department.
(See Caldas Department).. She died in Manizales in 2015.