AN EX-PRESIDENT of Spain has become a Colombian citizen and sworn allegiance to the flag of the South American country.
Felipe González, former socialist leader who was president prior to the PP government led by José María Aznar – voted out in the 2004 elections – has been granted a Colombian passport in recognition of his ongoing efforts at helping restore peace in a nation which has had a long history of violence and kidnapping, mostly at the hands of drug barons and the armed organisation, the FARC.
Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos described González as 'a great friend' of the country and 'an extraordinary person', and the former Spanish president himself recalled that he had been 'linked to Colombia for over half his life' in one way or another.
“You cannot imagine the satisfaction it gives me, feeling every bit as Colombian as I am Spanish, and feeling every bit as Spanish as I am Colombian,” González said as he pledged to comply with the South American nation's Constitution in the Casa Nariño, the government headquarters.
“There are moments in the life of a president that create special pleasure, and this is one of them – granting nationality to a person who has been such a great friend of Colombia's,” announced Santos.
González, who was head of State in Spain from 1982 after the year-long reign of Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo – successor to Adolfo Suárez, first president of the democracy - until 1996 when Aznar came into power, 'brought Spain its greatest levels of prosperity in recent times', according to Santos.
In those years, González 'helped the economy to grow', 'modernised the country', and gained entry into the European Union for Spain.
At the same time, González offered 'advice and help' to Colombia 'with no thought of personal gain' and 'out of affection for the Colombians', both during the reign of Santos himself and previous presidents Belisario Betancur (1982-1986) and César Gaviria (1990-1994), the present leader stated.
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