Men’s Day in Colombia: Meet 10 Famous Colombians

Today, March 19, 2024, Colombia celebrates the national Men’s Day, a special occasion dedicated to honoring renowned Colombian men who have made significant contributions to history, whether in the arts, through inventions, sporting achievements, or in other aspects of their lives.

Let’s meet ten famous Colombians who have left an indelible mark on both national and international minds.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Literature)

Born on the Caribbean Coast, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1927-2014) is the most celebrated Colombian writer. Nobel Prize laureate in Literature, he is renowned for his magical realism novels, such as One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien Anos de Soledad) or Love in the Time of Cholera (Amor en Los Tiempos del Colera), offering a unique perspective on Colombian history and society.

J Balvin (Music)

Born Jose Alvaro Osorio Balvin, J Balvin is a reggaeton singer internationally recognized for his hits like ‘Mi Gente’, ‘X’ or ‘I Like It’, which have contributed to popularizing the genre worldwide. He is the best-selling Colombian male artist of all time, with over 35 million official sales recorded.

David Velez (Business)

David Velez is a visionary entrepreneur from Medellin and the richest man in the country, with a fortune estimated at US$11.3 billion. He is the founder of Nubank, one the world’s largest neobanks. Since its launch in Brazil in 2013, the bank has deeply transformed the Latin American banking landscape. Today, it serves over 90 million clients and boasts a market capitalization of US$56.20 billion.

Fernando Botero (Sculpture)

Fernando Botero (1932-2023) is the most renowned Colombian sculptor of all time, globally recognized for his unique and original style, the ‘Boterismo’, which features voluptuous and exaggerated figures. His work is displayed all around the world, from Armenia to the United States, and of course, in his native Medellin, at the famous Botero Place.

Manuel Elkin Patarroyo (Science)

Born in 1946, Manuel Elkin Patarroyo is a renowned immunologist, internationally famous for developing the first synthetic vaccine against malaria. Despite its mere 28 percent efficacy, the SPf66 Malaria vaccine represents a significant advancement in the fight against the disease, which took 608,000 lives in 2022.

Nairo Quintana (Sports)

Nairo Quintana is a legend in Colombian cycling, being the first Colombian cyclist to win the prestigious Giro d’italia in 2014. He also excelled in other Grand Tours, winning the Vuelta a Espana ( Tour of Spain) in 2016 and finishing as the Tour de France runner-up twice.

Juan Manuel Santos (Politics)

Juan Manuel Santos served as the President of Colombia from 2010 and 2018. During his second term, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in advancing the peace process with the FARC, a far-left guerrilla group, which eventually culminated in a peace agreement in November 2016.

Joe Arroyo (Music)

Known as the Centurion of the Night, the legendary Caribbean singer and composer Joe Arroyo (1955-2011) stands as one of the greatest salsa artists of all time. Mixing salsa, cumbia and Afro-Caribbean rhythms, he had a lasting influence on the genre, with his iconic songs ‘La Noche’, ‘La Rebelion’ and ‘En Barranquilla me Quedo’.

Carlos Valderrama (Sports)

‘The Kid’ (El Pibe) Valderrama is a legendary Colombian football player, regarded as one of the greatest players in South America’s history. Recognizable by his iconic hairstyle, he left a mark on 1990s football, participating in three World Cups and five Copa Americas.

Ciro Guerra (Cinema)

Ciro Guerra is a filmmaker and screenwriter who has gained international recognition for various films, including the 2018 Birds of Passage and the adventure drama Embrace of the Serpent in 2015. The latter was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category.