Alfonso Gómez Méndez

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

Alfonso Gómez Méndez
File:Gomezmendez3.jpg Gómez campaigning in 2009.
9th Minister of Justice and Law of Colombia
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 September 2013
President	Juan Manuel Santos Calderón
Preceded by	Ruth Stella Correa Palacio
3rd Attorney General of Colombia
In office 3 July 1997 – 3 July 2001
Nominated by	Ernesto Samper Pizano
Preceded by	Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento
Succeeded by	Luis Camilo Osorio Isaza
Colombia Ambassador to Austria
In office 1991–1993
President	César Gaviria Trujillo
Preceded by	Mario Laserna Pinzón
Succeeded by	Carlos Lemos Simmonds
Inspector General of Colombia
In office 9 March 1989 – 23 November 1990
Nominated by	Virgilio Barco Vargas
Preceded by	Horacio Serpa Uribe
Succeeded by	Carlos Gustavo Arrieta Padilla
Member of the Colombian Chamber of Representatives from Tolima
In office 20 July 1986 – 9 March 1989
Personal details
Born	(1949-08-16) 16 August 1949 Chaparral, Tolima, Colombia
Nationality	Colombian
Political party	Liberal
Spouse(s)	Patricia Lara Salive (1989—present)
Children	Alfonso Gómez Lugo Rosa Gómez Lugo María Gómez Lara Federico Gómez Lara
Alma mater	Universidad Externado de Colombia (LLB, 1971) Panthéon-Assas University (DEA, 1976)
Profession	Lawyer
Religion	Roman Catholic

Alfonso Gómez Méndez (born 19 August 1949) is the 9th Minister of Justice and Law of Colombia.

Alfonso was born on 19 August 1949 in Chaparral, Tolima. He attended Universidad Externado de Colombia where he graduated in Law in 1971.

On 9 March 1989, the Senate of Colombia elected Gómez to succeed Horacio Serpa Uribe as Inspector General of Colombia. Gómez, who at the time was serving as Chamber Representative, was nominated by President Virgilio Barco Vargas. On 23 November 1990 Gómez resigned citing political pressure; the Deputy Inspector, the Assistant Inspector, the Secretary General, and 23 Delegate Inspectors, all presented their resignation in solidarity with the Inspector General. The backlash from the Senate and others in military and right-wing political circles against Gómez and his department, stemmed from the ruling of the Office of the Inspector General against Army General Jesús Armando Arias Cabrales and Army Colonel Edilberto Sánchez Rubiano for their role during the 1985 Palace of Justice siege.

In January 1991, following his resignation as Inspector General, President César Gaviria Trujillo appointed Gómez Ambassador of Colombia to Austria. While in Vienna, Gómez also served as Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

In 1996 Gómez was elected to the International Narcotics Control Board for a five year term. Shortly after, on 29 May 1997 the Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia elected Gómez to serve as the 3rd Attorney General of Colombia to succeed Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento. Gómez was elected out of a ternary slate presented by President Ernesto Samper Pizano that also included the names of Saturia Esguerra Portocarrero and Manuel Santiago Urueta Ayola. In 1998, Board President Hamid Ghodse asked Gómez to step down citing concerns of a possible conflict of interest; Gómez refused this request, but ultimately resigned citing his "extremely tight work schedule".