# Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca

The Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca (Spanish: Asamblea Departamental del Valle del Cauca) is the department assembly of the Colombian Valle del Cauca Department. The assembly is part of the Colombian legislative branch of government at a Provincial level and its main function is to debate, approve or change the local ordinances.

## History

The history of the Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca has its roots in the creation of the Valle del Cauca Department.

### Hostage crisis

As part of the Colombian armed conflict on April 12, 2002, members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) stormed the Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca and kidnapped 12 Deputies of the Valle del Cauca Department to pressure a prisoner exchange between them and the government and to negotiate the demilitarization of the municipalities of Florida and Pradera to initiate peace dialogues.

## Functions

The Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca sessions regularly in ordinary sessions during six months in three periods of two months and can be prolonged for up to ten days. Extraordinary sessions can be called up by the Governor of Valle del Cauca to analyze certain projects specifically. The deputies are in charge of analyzing for approval or disapproval of ordinances after three discussion debates that once approved are then sanctioned and signed by the governor of Valle del Cauca.

## Organization

The Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca is headed by the Mesa Directiva (literally "Directorate Table"), which is integrated by the president of the Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca, first vice president, second vice president and general secretary.

### Members

Since the 2015 regional elections, the members of the Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca for the 2016–2019 term are:
| Office | Party | Officer |
| President of the Department Assembly | Colombian Conservative Party | José Snehider Rivas Ayala |
| First vice president | Social Party of National Unity | Manuel Laureano Torres Moreno |
| Second Vice President | MIRA political party | Ramiro Rivera Villa |
| General Secretary | | Sebastian Jare Quiñonez Castillo |
| Party | Deputy |
| Social Party of National Unity (U) | Juan Carlos Garces Rojas Guillermo Montalvo Orozco Martha Lucía Velez Mejia Manuel Laureano Torres Moreno Juan Carlos Rengifo Arboleda |
| Democratic Center (CD) | Julio Cesar Gaviria Varela Juana Eloisa Cataño Muñoz |
| Colombian Conservative Party (C) | Jose Snehider Rivas Ayala Amanda Ramirez Giraldo John Jairo Caicedo Villegas Carlos Alberto Orozco Franco |
| Colombian Liberal Party (L) | Myriam Cristina Juri Montes Géssica Vallejo Valencia Hugo Armando Bohórquez Chavarro Luzdey Martínez Martínez Diana Patricia Moreno Cetina |
| Radical Change (CR) | Mariluz Zuluaga Santa Antonio Ospina Carballo |
| Green Alliance (AV) | Maria Isabel Moreno Salazar |
| MIRA political party (MIRA) | Ramiro Rivera Villa |
| Alternative Democratic Pole (POLO) | Rolando Caicedo Arroyo |

#### 2008-2011 term

| Name | Party |
| Camilo Escobar Osorio | Colombian Conservative Party (C) |
| Alvaro López Gil | Colombian Conservative Party (C) |
| Mario Germán Fernández De Soto Sánchez | Colombian Conservative Party (C) |
| Emilio Merino González | Colombian Conservative Party (C) |
| Amanda Ramírez Giraldo | Colombian Conservative Party (C) |
| Rubiel Antonio Muñoz Corrales | Citizens' Convergence |
| Jaime Aguilar Domínguez | Citizens' Convergence |
| Juan Eccehomo Calimán Pabón | Citizens' Convergence |
| Yiminson Figueroa Carabalí | Citizens' Convergence |
| Andrés Felipe Solarte | Social Party of National Unity (U) |
| Edgar Libardo Mejía Gallego | Social Party of National Unity (U) |
| Mauricio Martínez Prado | Social Party of National Unity (U) |
| Antonio Ospina Carballo | Radical Change (CR) |
| Gustavo Adolfo González Blandón | Radical Change (CR) |
| José Fabio Rojas Giraldo | Radical Change (CR) |
| Marino Del Río Uribe | Colombian Liberal Party (L) |
| Norberto Tascón Ospina | Colombian Liberal Party (L) |
| Myriam Cristina Juri Montes | Colombian Liberal Party (L) |
| Fernando Forero Cruz | Alternative Democratic Pole (POLO) |
| Ana Milena Ortiz Sánchez | Alternative Democratic Pole (POLO) |
| Álvaro Elías Martínez | MIRA political party (MIRA) |