COMANDER OF COLOMBIAN NATIONAL ARMY
GENERAL LUIS EMILIO CARDOZO SANTAMARÍA
He was born in Yotoco, Valle del Cauca, on October 24, 1967. He entered the General José María Córdova Military Cadet School in 1985. His parents were the architects of his education, because they seeded in him values of honesty, honorability, humility, simplicity, kindness, respect and generosity that forged his strict and tough character, but respectful of human dignity. He has been married for 32 years to Mrs. Yamilet Valencia Palacios, and they have two sons, Luis Felipe and Emilio José.
During his career, he has studies in different areas; he is a professional in Industrial Engineering, of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, and Engineer in Civil and Military Works, specializing in University Teaching and Research and in Senior Management, and master in National Security and Defense.
It is important to highlight the specialized work and the absolute dedication to the institution, a commitment that has been recognized by his branch granting him distinctions and congratulations, including the Order of Boyacá medal, Order of Military Merit medal Antonio Nariño, Order of Military Merit medal José María Córdova, Distinguished Service Medal in Law and order, for six times; medal Order of Merit Colonel Guillermo Fergusson, medal Award to the Best Student, Military medal Francisco José de Caldas, on 3 occasions, for occupying the first place in the promotion of course; military medal Fe en La Causa, of the General Command of the Colombian Military Forces; military medal Faith in the Cause, of Colombian National Army; military Medal of the Ministry of National Defense, Torre de Castilla medal, San Gabriel medal, General Rafael Reyes medal, San Miguel Arcángel military medal and Bicentenary military medal of Military Engineers, among many others at the national level, and also ate the international level, such as the Minerva Naval Merit medal, of Chile; The Army Commendation medal, of the United States Army; the Simil de Oro medal, of the Republic of Argentina; la medalha do Pacificador, of the Republic of Brazil, and also the academic medal of the Army of Peru.
In the same way, he has represented the country abroad as Colombia's military and defense attaché in France; in the same way, he was an invited instructor by the Institute for Hemispheric Security Cooperation (WHINSEC- USA); he took a Peace Operations course at the Spanish General Military Academy and he took the international course The Army for Citizen Strengthening, in Israel; he was in the same way an expert in doctrine at the public hearing convened by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, in Costa Rica.
Throughout his successful career, his competitiveness and intellectual capacity have led him to hold ranks and positions such as Head of the Planning Office, in the Army Health Directorate.
Commander of the Engineering School Students Association (ESING in Spanish), Executive and Second Commander of the Francisco Javier Cisneros Battalion, Project Director at the Army Planning Headquarters, Commander of the Francisco José de Caldas Battalion, Coordinator of the Strategic Analysis Group, of the Ministry of National Defense; Director of the School of Arms and Services, Commander of the Twenty-Third Brigade, Commander of the Military Engineers Command, Commander of the Eighth Division, Commander of the Air Assault Aviation Division and Chief of Staff of Operations of Colombian National Army. In the latter position he submitted his voluntary retirement petition from active service in 2022.
