Fuad Ricardo Char Abdala (born 5 October 1937) is a Colombian businessman and politician who served as Governor of Atlántico from 1984 to 1987, as Minister of Economic Development from 1987 to 1988 under President

Virgilio Barco Virgilio Barco Vargas (17 September 1921 – 20 May 1997) was a Colombian politician and civil engineer who served as the 27th President of Colombia serving from 7 August 1986 to 7 August 1990. Early life Barco was born in Cúcuta in the Nor ...

, and later as Colombian Ambassador to Portugal from 2008 to 2009 under President

Álvaro Uribe Álvaro Uribe Vélez (born 4 July 1952) is a Colombian politician who served as the 31st President of Colombia from 7 August 2002 to 7 August 2010. Uribe started his political career in his home department of Antioquia Department, Antioquia. H ...

. Char also served as a

Senator of Colombia The Senate of the Republic of Colombia () is the upper house of the Congress of Colombia, with the lower house being the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia, Chamber of Representatives. The Senate has 108 members elected for concurrent (non ...

three times, being one of the highest-ranking. Born in Lorica,

Córdoba Córdoba most commonly refers to: * Córdoba, Spain, a major city in southern Spain and formerly the imperial capital of Islamic Spain * Córdoba, Argentina, the second largest city in Argentina and the capital of Córdoba Province Córdoba or Cord ...

, Char is one of the most powerful businessmen in Colombia and the entire

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

region of the country. He is the founder and current president of the Olimpica Business Group. Of Syrian origin, he is the patriarch of one of the most influential families in Atlántico; his descendants have been known for their active work in politics. His eldest son,

Alejandro Alejandro is the Spanish form of the name Alexander. Alejandro has multiple variations in different languages, including Aleksander ( Czech, Polish), Alexandre ( French), Alexandros ( Greek), Alsander ( Irish), Alessandro ( Italian), Aleksand ...

, has been Mayor of

Barranquilla Barranquilla () is the capital district of the Atlántico department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean region of Colombia, Caribbean coast region; as of 2018, it had a popul ...

three times, and his younger son,

Arturo Arturo is a Spanish and Italian variant of the name Arthur. People * Arturo Alessandri (1868–1950), Chilean politician and president * Arturo Álvarez (footballer, born 1985), American-born Salvadoran footballer * Arturo Álvarez (footballer, bo ...

, was President of the Senate.

Early life, marriage and family

Fuad Ricardo Char Abdala was born on 5 October 1937, in Lorica,

, to Syrian migrants Roberto Char and Erlinda Abdala de Char (née Abdala Chadjur). His father, was originally from

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

, Syria, and had migrated to Colombia in late 1926, settling in Lorica, Córdoba, which was then home to the largest colony of migrants from

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, and

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

. Fuad has four auncles: Jabib, Farid, Simón, and Ricardo Jr. In June 1963, he married his first cousin, Adela Chaljub, daughter of Antonio Chaljub of Lebanese origin and his aunt Rosa Char de Chaljub (née Char Zaslawy), with whom he had three sons, Alejandro, Arturo, and Antonio. Adela died in July 1994 at the age of 51 due to a bone disease.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Char, Fuad 1937 births Living people People from Córdoba Department

Fuad Fuad (Arabic: ''fū’ād, fou’ād'') (also spelled Fouad, Foud, Fuaad or Foad) is a masculine Arabic given name, meaning "heart"—the beating circulating heart, the concept of "mind and spirit". Its root word is the Arabic verb ''fa’ada ...

Colombian people of Syrian descent Members of the Senate of Colombia Ministers of economic development of Colombia Governors of Atlántico Department Ambassadors of Colombia to Portugal