Date: 2010-05-05
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor an admirable educator and scholar from Bogota. Colombia. Dr. Rodrigo Noguera Calderon. During his long and highly acclaimed professional career after receiving a doctorate in law with a specialization in socioeconomic sciences from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. he has been an exceptional jurist and academician. His humanistic formation led him to defend from the outset the values and principles of western civilization. the defense of which is today manifested in the formation of professionals educated with the same principles. As a corollary of his humanistic formation. Dr. Noguera has been an ardent defender of democracy and of its liberties. and he has been a fighter against totalitarian and socalled "populist" regimes which seek to destabilize democratic governments. Dr. Noguera has also stood out for his unwavering and constant defense of the principles on which human rights are based and for the correct application of international norms that regulate them against those who. in the name of human rights. violate the very principles they say they seek to protect. To further this cause. Dr. Noguera established the Human Rights Institute in collaboration with academic institutions on three continents. Regarding the United States of America. his positions and those of the Universidad Sergio Arboleda. which is the university founded in 1984 by his father. Rodrigo Noguera Laborde. and at which he has presided since 2003. have always been of friendship and in defense of the postulates and values of this great Nation. The Universidad Sergio Arboleda was the main academic institution in Colombia that supported and assisted with the entire negotiation process of the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Colombia. The Universidad Sergio Arboleda also maintains very close relationships. by means of specific shared programs and projects. with many American universities. such as Florida International University. Florida Atlantic University. Georgetown University. American University. and the New York University School of Law. The Universidad Sergio Arboleda was a leader in the creation of joint degree programs with American universities. It was also a leader in other innovative and groundbreaking agreements. which have benefited both the United States and Colombia. The Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute. of which I am honored to chair. will also enter into an agreement of collaboration with the Universidad Sergio Arboleda. Dr. Noguera has held very prestigious publicsector positions by presidential appointment. including supervisor of corporations. national electoral council judge. and associate judge of the National Constitutional Court of Colombia. He was presently named by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe as a member of the Committee on Political Reform. He has received many important distinctions. including the Order of Democracy Simon Bolivar in the degree of Cruz Gran Caballero. which is one of the highest civilian honors of Colombia. granted by the Colombian House of Representatives. For my late father. for my brothers. and for me and my wife. our friendship with Rodrigo Noguera and his wife. Zayda Barrero de Noguera. is an extraordinary honor.