Nydia Quintero Turbay

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Quintero, the second or maternal family name is Turbay, and, for married women, the optional marital name is de Balcázar.

Nydia Quintero
Nydia Quintero c., 1955.
First Lady of Colombia
In role
7 August 1978 – 7 August 1982
PresidentJulio César Turbay Ayala
Preceded byCecilia Caballero Blanco
Succeeded byRosa Álvarez de Betancur
Personal details
BornNydia Quintero Turbay
(1932-08-28)28 August 1932
Neiva, Huila, Colombia
Died30 June 2025(2025-06-30) (aged 92)
Bogota, D.C., Colombia
PartyLiberal
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1948; ann. 1983)​
  • ​
    (m. 1984)​
Children

Nydia Quintero Turbay de Balcázar (née Quintero Turbay;[a] 28 August 1932 – 30 June 2025) was a Colombian activist and humanitarian who served as the first lady of Colombia from 1978 to 1982, as the wife of President Julio César Turbay Ayala. Throughout her decades of public service, she was a prominent advocate for children's rights, disaster relief, and charity.[1][2]

Quintero was born in Neiva, Huila, and graduated from the Antonia Santos National School. She only saw her future husband twice before they were married in 1948. Quintero supported her husband during his political campaign for the Senate in 1970. She campaigned very discreetly for him during his candidacy for the presidency of Colombia in the 1978 election, in which he defeated the Conservative candidate Belisario Betancur.

Quintero was actively involved in politics during her husband's presidency. During his term, Quintero emphasized the importance of social assistance through commitment and service.

Early life, marriage and family

Nydia Quintero Turbay was born on October 22, 1931 in Neiva, Huila to Jorge Quintero and Adhalía Turbay de Quintero (née Turbay Ayala).[3] Her mother was a descendant of Lebanese migrants and her father was a descendant of Basque migrants.[4] After the death of her father she moved to Bogotá where she studied at the Antonia Santos National High School. Quintero married Turbay in the Church of Santa Teresita in Bogotá on July 1, 1948, when she was 16 years old.[4] Quintero would witness the events of April 9, 1948 that began the Bogotazo, she would describe how she witnessed the events while she was dancing ballet. A year later in February 1949, his eldest son Julio César would be born.[5]In 1962 she would support her husband in his campaign for Senator.[3]

In 1975, Turbay would be appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs by President Alfonso López Michelsen, so Quintero accompanied her husband on multiple visits and high-level meetings throughout the country observing the needs of many Colombians. In 1975, Quintero founded the Solidarity for Colombia Foundation as a non-profit foundation.[5] In 1978 he joined the foundation in the 1978 presidential campaign. After Turbay's election as president, Quintero would play the role of social hostess at the Casa de Nariño, a role she used alongside the foundation by donating assistance during natural disasters while presiding as chairwomen of the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare.[4] Quintero came to enjoy the role by allowing him to work for children. Years later she would describe that it was an honor for her to work for Colombia and contribute to society.

Divorce and later life

In 1983, after several months of speculation, Turbay publicly announced their separation. The relationship had grown strained during the last two years of Julio César's term, and in mid-1983, they both filed for an annulment, officially ending their 35-year marriage. [6] A year later, Quintero married Gustavo Balcázar in a private ceremony in Bogotá in mid-1984.[7]

In 2016, after 41 years of work and service at the head of the Solidarity for Colombia Foundation.[8] Quintero decides to hand over the position to his granddaughter María Carolina.[9] Who went on to become president of the foundation since then. After his retirement in 2016, Quintero's public appearances became shorter and were gradually reduced. In her last years she lost her voice which totally isolated her from public life. On 30 June 2025, she died at the Fundación Santa Fe clinic.[10][11] She remained hospitalized for two days starting on 28 June, after a mild respiratory infection.[12] After his death, Quintero was exhibited in the Heliptic Hall of the National Capitol.[13] His coffin was decorated with the flag of the Solidarity for Colombia Foundation. She was buried in the Central Cemetery of Bogotá, the ceremony included a prayer and blessing under the Maronite rite by Monsignor Fadi Abou Chebel, Apostolic Exarch of Bogotá and leader of the Mariamite Maronite Order. The ceremony honored the Lebanese origins of the Turbay family.

Honour

Notes

  1. ^ Quintero was named Nydia Quintero Turbay at birth. Later, after her marriage, she adopted her husband's surname according to Spanish naming customs, resulting in Nydia Quintero de Turbay. In 1984 she adopted her second husband's surname, resulting in Nydia Quintero Turbay de Balcazar.

References

  1. ^ Ríos Peñaloza, Gilma (1 August 1996). "Primeras Damas del Siglo XX" [First Ladies of the 20th Century]. Credencial Historia (in Spanish) (80). Bogotá: Colombia, Bank of the Republic. ISSN 0121-3296. OCLC 39236834. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  2. ^ Almanza, Cristian (30 June 2025). "¿Quién fue Nydia Quintero? La primera dama que impulsó la protección infantil". Caracol Radio. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b Garvía Vásquez, Julio César. "1.8. Julio César Trubay Ayala, Familiares y Parentela" (PDF). Genealogía Colombiana Volumen 4. Interconexión Colombia.
  4. ^ a b c Chacón Orduz, Mateo (3 June 2025). "Adiós a Nydia Quintero, la incansable 'dama de la solidaridad'". El Tiempo. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Nydia Quintero, Una Vida al Servicio". Solidaridad por Colombia Foundation. 3 June 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Ex esposos y amigos". Semana. 23 December 1996. Retrieved 17 April 2011.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. ^ "¿Cuántos esposos tuvo Nydia Quintero, abuela de Miguel Uribe, que murió? Uno, muy polémico". Pulzo. 28 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  8. ^ "Nidia Quintero entregó la fundación Solidaridad por Colombia a su nieta Carolina Hoyos". Canal 1. 28 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Doña Nydia Quintero deja la Fundación Solidaridad por Colombia". El Tiempo. 26 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  10. ^ Mejía Molina, Alejandro (30 June 2025). "Falleció Nydia Quintero Turbay, ex primera dama de Colombia y abuela de Miguel Uribe Turbay". Radio Nacional de Colombia. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  11. ^ Hernández Torres, Tania Alejandra (30 June 2025). "Falleció Nydia Quintero, abuela de Miguel Uribe y ex primera dama de Colombia". El Tiempo. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  12. ^ López Córdoba, Milena (28 August 2025). "Nydia Quintero, abuela de Miguel Uribe, fue hospitalizada en la Fundación Santa Fe". City TV. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  13. ^ ""Doña Nydia Quintero será velada en cámara ardiente en el Capitolio Nacional": Efraín Cepeda". El Heraldo. 30 June 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  14. ^ Boletín Oficial del Estado (PDF) Accessed 19 December 2019.
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