Luz María Zapata

Luz María Zapata
Zapata in 2024
Second Lady of Colombia
In role
August 7, 2014 – March 11, 2017
Vice PresidentGermán Vargas Lleras
Preceded byMontserrat Muñoz de Garzón
Succeeded byClaudia Luque
Personal details
BornLuz María Zapata Zapata
(1967-09-02) September 2, 1967
PartyIndependent (2022–present)
Other political
affiliations
Radical Change (2010-2022)
Spouse
(m. 2010; div. 2023)
EducationUniversity of the Andes (BSc)

Luz María Zapata Zapata (born September 2, 1967) is a Colombian political scientist and politician who served as president of Asocapitales from 2018 to 2025. Zapata served as Second Lady of Colombia from 2014 to 2017 as the wife of Vice President Germán Vargas Lleras.[1][2][3]Graduate of the University of the Andes with a degree in political science, she holds a Master’s in Emotional Intelligence and Well-being from Universidad del Rosario and completed both the Combating Transnational Threat Networks Course at the National Defense University and The Art and Practice of Leadership Development at Harvard University.

She has served as coordinator of social policies and women’s in presidential campaigns, researcher at the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), executive director of the Colombian Association of Liquor Companies (ACIL) for 14 years, and of the Colombian Association of Capital Cities for 7 years. She has also worked as a social and political advisor for the Buen Gobierno Foundation.

She is the author of Rolaisa, a book about her life, achievements and participation of women in politics published by Planeta Books.[4]

2026 presidential election

Presidential campaign

On July 8, 2025, Zapata registered her candidacy with the National Civil Registry of Colombia by collecting signatures.[5][6][7][8]

References

  1. ^ Cortés Mejía, Nicolás (24 May 2018). "Conozca un poco más de Luz María Zapata, la esposa de Vargas Lleras". El Tiempo. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  2. ^ "Las esposas de los candidatos presidenciales". Semana. 27 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  3. ^ ""En todos los gobiernos hay cosas buenas": Luz María Zapata, directora de Asocapitales". Canal 1. 3 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  4. ^ Pulzo; Pulzo.com. "Luz María Zapata lanza "Rolaisa": una vida entre dos tierras y el capítulo que emociona a sus lectores". pulzo.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  5. ^ Álvarez, Nelson (8 July 2025). "Luz María Zapata, exesposa de Germán Vargas Lletas, inscribió su candidatura presidencial por firmas". Infobae. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Luz María Zapata, exdirectora de Asocapitales, lanza candidatura por firmas". La Silla Vacía. 14 July 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  7. ^ Suesca, Lizeth (8 July 2024). "'Luz para Colombia': movimiento con el que exdirectora de Asocapitales busca la presidencia 2026". Caracol Radio. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  8. ^ "Luz María Zapata ya es la candidata número 40 que buscará inscribirse por firmas". El Espectador. 8 July 2025. Retrieved 20 July 2025.