José Manuel Restrepo Abondano
Colombian academic and politician (born 1969)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
José Manuel Restrepo Abondano (born 31 August 1970) is a Colombian academic, economist, journalist and politician who served as the Minister of Finance and Public Credit[1] and Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism in the Iván Duque government.[2][3][1]
José Manuel Restrepo Abondano | |
|---|---|
Restrepo Abondano in 2025 | |
| Minister of Finance and Public Credit | |
| In office 3 May 2021 – 7 August 2022 | |
| President | Iván Duque |
| Preceded by | Alberto Carrasquilla Barrera |
| Succeeded by | José Antonio Ocampo |
| Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism | |
| In office 7 August 2018 – 3 May 2021 | |
| President | Iván Duque |
| Preceded by | María Lorena Gutiérrez |
| Succeeded by | Maria Ximena Lombana |
| Rector of the Del Rosario University | |
| In office 22 September 2014 – 7 August 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Roberto Arias Pérez |
| Succeeded by | José Alejandro Cheyne |
| Personal details | |
| Born | José Manuel Restrepo Abondano 31 August 1970 |
| Party | Defenders of the Homeland |
Other political affiliations | Conservative |
| Relatives | José Manuel Restrepo Vélez (great-great grandfather) Francisco de Paula Santander (great-great grandfather) Sixta Pontón de Santander (great-great grandmother) |
| Education | Del Rosario University London School of Economics University of Bath (PhD) |
He has a university degree and a postgraduate degree from the Del Rosario University, a master's degree in economics from the London School of Economics, and a PhD in Higher Education Management from the University of Bath in England. He has also served as rector of his alma mater Del Rosario University. For many years he wrote weekly columns for newspapers El Nuevo Siglo and El Espectador.
Ideologically, Restrepo holds conservative and right-wing political views. He opposed the 23.7% increase in the minimum wage implemented by President Gustavo Petro and petitioned the Council of State to overturn it.[4] In March 10, 2026, he was announced as the vice-presidential running mate of candidate Abelardo de la Espriella in the 2026 Colombian presidential election.
Education
José Manuel Restrepo Abondano was born in 1969, and grew up in Bogotá, Colombia. He attended the all-boys Campestre Gymnasium school, a conservative school in the Orquideas district of Bogotá.[5]
He graduated from the Del Rosario University in Bogotá in 1994, and completed a master's degree in economics from the London School of Economics in 1998.[6] He completed a Postgraduate Degree in Finance and Executive Management from the Rosario University in 2004, and a PhD in Higher Education Management from the University of Bath in England in 2015.[7]
Professional career
Restrepo started his career working as an advisor to the Economic Commission (committee) of the Congress of the Republic of Colombia. He continued his career in the civil service, becoming Budget and Financial Planning Director of Fonade, the National Fund for Development Projects in Colombia.[8]
From 2009 to 2014, Restrepo was the rector of Colegio de Estudios Superiores de Administración (CESA) in Bogotá.[8] He also served as the rector of the Business Foundation of the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá. On 22 September 2014, he was elected rector of his alma mater Del Rosario University.[9]
For ten years he wrote a weekly column for the Bogotá-based newspaper El Nuevo Siglo, and in 2013 became a weekly columnist for Colombia's oldest newspaper El Espectador.[10][11] His last column was published on 21 July, one week after the announcement of his ministerial appointment.[12]
Political career
In an interview in May 2018 Restrepo talked about becoming politically engaged at university stating that, along with a group of fellow students, he launched a civic movement called "Political Civic Movement, New People".[5] The students stood for local elections in seven districts of Bogotá, three successfully being elected. He was one of the successful students, being elected to the district council of Chapinero, the second district of Bogotá.
On 14 July 2018, President-elect Iván Duque announced on Twitter that he had appointed Restrepo to his government as Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia.[13][non-primary source needed] President Duque described Restrepo as "one of the most illustrious Colombians of our generation ... who will make history in office".[14] Restrepo formally took office on 7 August 2018, following President Duque's inauguration.[15]
He was appointed as Colombia's Minister of Finance and Public Credit on May 3, 2021. He remained in office until August 7, 2022, concluding his term when the Duque administration transitioned power to incoming President Gustavo Petro.[16]
He opposed a 23.7% increase in the minimum wage decreed by President Gustavo Petro in 2025, arguing that the president bypassed standard technical criteria and ignored productivity and inflation benchmarks stipulated by law, and petitioned the Council of State to overturn it.[17] In February 2026, the Council of Stat provisionally suspended the decree, citing a lack of verifiable legal and economic justification.[18]