The governor of Atlántico, Eduardo Verano, will offer a tribute to the outstanding businessman Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo this Thursday, June 20 at the Crystal Cube in the Plaza de la Paz in which different personalities from the financial, political and economic world of the Caribbean region and the country will be invited, among whom will be deputies, businessmen, congressmen, managers of financial entities, among others.
The event, which has been called “Tribute to a Life of Service,” will begin at 11 a.m. and The highest decoration awarded by the departmental administration to a citizen will be awarded: the “Golden Gate of Colombia” medal, in gold form, which is delivered as indicated by decree 0038 of 1979 from the governor’s office to the highest hierarchies of the Colombian State and abroad.
Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo who is an example of resilience and courage to start businesses that in one way or another contribute to the economic growth of hundreds of families that are not only part of the financial system, but have also benefited from donations and social contributions.
“For me it is an honor to give the highest distinction to a person like the great businessman Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo who is an example of resilience and courage to start businesses that in one way or another contribute to the economic growth of hundreds of families that not only make part of the financial system, but have benefited from donations and social contributions that have had a major impact on the lives of many Colombians,” he highlighted. Governor Eduardo Verano.
In addition, decree number 000246 of 2024 will be delivered in which the life and works of this Bogotá businessman who was born on January 27, 1933 in a traditional family and who had an educational background that was enhanced in the National University of Colombia where he graduated with honors in Civil Engineering in 1954.
Recognition of a long history of works
One of the first significant steps as an entrepreneur was in the Construction Company Santiago Berrío & Cia whose members of the owner family asked him to take charge of the company once the head of the organization died.
Shortly afterwards, at the age of 23, he decided to create what would later become a great company: the Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo Organization, which catapulted into the financial world in 1971 by acquiring share control of the Bank of the West, founded in Cali in 1964.
The person in charge of its administration was his older brother, Guillermo Sarmiento, who managed to get the bank out of the crisis it was going through. In 1972 he founded the Las Villas Savings and Housing Corporation.
Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo.
Photo:Atlantic Governorate
The success in this business was so overwhelming that it led him, in 1998, to the creation of the Grupo AVAL holding company, with which he democratized the shareholding constitution of that organization.
The contributions he has made stand out
Today, Sarmiento Angulo, points out the Government of Atlántico in its explanations for granting the recognition to the businessman, is recognized as a person who doesand contributions of high social impact in the Health, Education, Financial, Housing and microentrepreneur sectors. Example of them, the following:
Health Sector
• Construction and donation of the Cancer Treatment and Research Center –CTIC-, located in the north of the city of Bogotá and developed on a 35,000 m2 campus. It includes a 62,000 m2 hospital and a 10,000 m2 research center. In its first year of operation, the CTIC treated nearly 30,000 patients. The CTIC develops cancer prevention programs and comprehensive, multidisciplinary treatments. Likewise, the CTIC has spaces to house nearly 200 researchers, who are dedicated to studying the most common types of cancer in Colombia and the region.
• Donations for the construction of surgery rooms and provision of equipment for the Cardio-Infantil Foundation, the San Ignacio University Hospital and the Simón Bolívar Hospital.
• Donation of 80 billion pesos to alleviate the Covid-19 emergency, intended for the acquisition of ventilators and markets for vulnerable families.
Education Sector
• Founder and benefactor of the Colombian School of Engineering Julio Garavito.
• Donor and president of the Board of Directors of Colfuturo from 1994 to 2016. Currently he continues to be a member of its Board of Directors.
• Construction and donation of the Science and Technology Building of the National University of Colombia. This construction has an approximate area of 8,700 m2 and has a library with capacity for 80,000 volumes and 400 people in simultaneous consultation, an auditorium for 240 people, 3 internet access rooms with capacity for 228 people and 20 special-sized classrooms .
Financial sector
• Donor and president of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Financial Institutions – ANIF from 1984 to 2015.
Housing Sector
• Donor and builder of homes for 50 families of the Colombiatón program, a program developed by the public sector and private companies to help those affected by the winter wave that hit the city of Cartagena in 2004.
• Donor and builder of the “Mirador de Usme” project, which benefited more than 1,500 people affected by the winter of 2010, and which consists of 400 apartments with an average area of 54 m2 each, playgrounds, green areas, parking lots. for residents and visitors.
Microenterprise Sector
• Created and donated the entire capital of the Grameen Aval Corporation, which between 2010 and 2012 provided credit to 12,484 Colombian women for the creation and promotion of small businesses. In 2013 Grupo Aval assumed management of the corporation and its name changed to Corporación Microcrédito Aval.
