Armando Benedetti

Armando Alberto Benedetti Villaneda
File:Armando Benedetti.jpg Senator Benedetti in 2010.
President of the Senate of Colombia
In office 20 July 2010 (2010-07-20) – 20 July 2011 (2011-07-20)
Preceded by	Javier Enrique Cáceres Leal
Succeeded by	Juan Manuel Corzo Román
Senator of Colombia
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 July 2006 (2006-07-20)
Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia
In office 20 July 2002 (2002-07-20) – 20 July 2006 (2006-07-20)
Constituency	Capital District
Personal details
Born	(1967-08-29) 29 August 1967 Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
Nationality	Colombian
Political party	Social Party of National Unity (2005-present)
Other political affiliations	Liberal (1998-2005)
Spouse(s)	María Angélica Navarro Ogliastri (1982-1984) Jaifa Margarita Mezher Arango (1997-2009) Angelina Castro (2010-2012)
Children	Daniela Benedetti Navarro Armando Benedetti Mezher Antonio Benedetti Castro
Alma mater	Pontifical Xavierian University
Religion	Roman Catholic
Website	www.armandobenedetti.com

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Benedetti and the second or maternal family name is Villaneda.

Armando Alberto Benedetti Villaneda (born 29 August 1967) is a Colombian politician, currently serving as Senator of Colombia since 2006. He also served as Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia from 2002 to 2006.

Career

Benedetti attended the Pontifical Xavierian University, and graduated with a degree in communication studies. He briefly worked as a reporter for Noticiero QAP between 1990 and 1991, and later served as political adviser to Eduardo Verano de la Rosa during the 1991 Constituent Assembly. He served as Secretary General of Public Establishments of the National Traffic and Transport Institute (Intra) between 1992 and 1993, and was later appointed Deputy Director of the Colombia Health Resource Company (Ecosalud), serving from 1996 to 1997.

In 1998, Benedetti was elected to the Bogotá City Council as a Liberal party candidate, and head of his electoral list. He served as Council Member until 2000, when he decided not to seek re-election in order to run for Congress.

During the 2002 parliamentary elections, Benedetti ran for a seat in the Chamber of Representatives for the circumscription of the Capital District as a Liberal candidate and head of his electoral list. He won with 31,855 votes.

Senator

In 2006, Benedetti decided to run in the 2006 parliamentary elections, this time for a seat in the Senate, and this time as a Social Party of National Unity candidate. He won a seat in the national elections with 50,356 votes.

In 2010, Benedetti was re-elected to the Senate with 81,029 votes, On 20 July 2010, Benedetti was elected by his peers President of the Senate. As President of the Senate, Benedetti administered the oath of office to President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón when he took office the following month on 7 August.

Personal life

Armando Alberto was born on 29 August 1962 in Barranquilla, Colombia, to Armando Benedetti Jimeno and Genoveva Villaneda Jiménez. His sister Ángela María is the current Ambassador of Colombia to Panama.