Roberto Urdaneta Arbeláez

Roberto Urdaneta Arbeláez (27 June 1890 – 20 August 1972) was a Colombian Conservative party politician and lawyer who served as president of Colombia from November 1951 until June 1953, while President Laureano Gómez was absent due to health issues.

Biographic data Urdaneta was born in Bogotá on 27 June 1890, during the administration of President Carlos Holguín Mallarino, his future father in law. He died in the same city on August 20, 1972.

At an early age Urdaneta showed great interest for politics and he enlisted in the Colombian Conservative Party. He was elected to the city council of Bogotá, to the Assembly of Cundinamarca and to the House of Representatives several times. Later, he was designated as Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations, and Ambassador to Peru and Argentina. Urdaneta was also appointed to the Ministries of Defense, Finance, and Foreign Affairs.

New congressional elections took place in 1951. The liberal party did not participate in this election, and thus, the composition of the new Congress was totally conservative. On October 30, 1951, the new Congress is sworn in, with the majority of members as followers of former president Mariano Ospina Pérez. On October 31, Congress is notified of the intentions of president Laureano Gómez to request leave of absence due to his illness. Congress moved promptly to elect a "Designado a la Presidencia" (interim president).

The candidate for the "Designatura" (office of interim president) with the majority of votes in Congress was Gilberto Alzate Avendaño, who happened to be the majority leader of Congress. Laureano Gómez opposed his nomination, and rather appealed for the candidacy of Roberto Urdaneta. Congress was persuaded by his impassionate appeal (the last wishes of a dying man), and elected Urdaneta as interim president. Thus, Urdaneta took the oath of President, before a joint session of Congress, on November 5, 1951.

Immediately after his announcement, Laureano Gómez left the "Palacio de Nariño". Urdaneta remained in the president's office. Within hours, that same afternoon, General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, accompanied by other Generals of the Army's high command, presented himself before Urdaneta and stated: "In the name of the Army's high command, I have the charge to express to your Excellency that we are here to request that you continue acting as President of Colombia".

General Duarte Blum, on behalf of the high command, explained that it was not an imposition, but the honest desire of the Generals of the armed forces, whom did not have the administrative qualifications and experience that he had. General Rojas Pinilla pleaded with Urdaneta's wife, Clemencia Holguín, to try to persuade her husband to accept the Generals’ request. Urdaneta replied once again: "I am most grateful and moved by the Army's high command demonstration of trust and loyalty, but since this morning I am no longer the President, because Gómez has retaken his office. In order for me to accept your offer, President Gómez must resign again to his office".

General Rojas Pinilla had already ordered the mobilization of troops throughout Bogotá and in major cities of the country. In light of Urdaneta's reluctance to accept the Army's request, General Rojas Pinilla proclaimed himself to be in charge of the office of the presidency.