Carlos Lemos Simmonds
A Colombian journalist and Liberal Party stalwart who served as Vice President and, for a brief but turbulent week, as the nation's acting head of state.
1933–2003 (age 70)·Vice President of Colombia from 1996 to 1998·Birthday: October 23·The Silent Generation
Biography
Carlos Lemos Simmonds was a man of words before he was a man of state. He built his reputation as a sharp political journalist and editor, wielding influence through the press in mid-20th century Colombia. This foundation in public discourse paved his way into politics, where he became a trusted figure within the Liberal Party. His ascent culminated in his election as Vice President in 1994, serving under President Ernesto Samper. History, however, handed him a unique and fraught responsibility. In January 1998, President Samper traveled to Europe for the World Economic Forum, and Lemos Simmonds assumed the presidency as acting head of state. His week in power was dominated by a severe crisis—guerrilla forces launched a major offensive, overrunning a military base and capturing dozens of soldiers, a event that shook the nation and defined his short tenure at the very top.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Carlos was born in 1933, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carlos Was Born
The biggest hits of 1933
#1 Movie
King Kong
Best Picture
Cavalcade
Carlos's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1933Born
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1938Started school
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1946Became a teenager
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Could drive
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1951Could vote
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Turned 21
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1963Turned 30
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 40
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 50
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 60
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 70
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Key Achievements
- Served as the Vice President of Colombia from 1996 to 1998 under President Ernesto Samper.
- Acted as President of Colombia for one week in January 1998 during a severe guerrilla offensive.
- Had a long career as a journalist, including serving as the director of the newspaper 'El Tiempo'.
- Was a Senator of Colombia and held several ministerial positions earlier in his career.
Did You Know?
His father, Carlos Lemos Gómez, was also a journalist and served as a government minister.
The guerrilla attack during his acting presidency is known as the 'Battle of El Billar'.
He wrote several books on Colombian politics and history after leaving office.
“A free press is the vigilant guardian of a nation's conscience.”
