Second Lady of Colombia or Second Gentleman (Second Lady of the Nation) it is the informal and unofficial title held by the spouse of the Vice President of Colombia, simultaneously with the Vice President's term of office. The second lady since August 7, 2026, is Tatiana Cespedes, wife of Vice President José Manuel Restrepo.
Coined in contrast to "first lady"—though less frequently used—the "second lady" term's origin is not clearly documented, but María Victoria García de Santos (wife of Francisco Santos Calderón, vice president from 2002 to 2010) is generally considered the title's originator, given her prominent role during Álvaro Uribe's presidency. The first second gentleman of Colombia was Álvaro Rincón, husband of Marta Lucía Ramírez, vice president from 2018 to 2022.
Three second ladies became first ladies during their husbands' presidential terms. The first was Ana de Narváez de Caro, wife of Miguel Antonio Caro, second vice president (1892-1894) and sixth president (1894-1898). The most recent was Antonia Ferrero de González, wife of Ramón González Valencia, fourth vice president (1904-1905) and eleventh president (1909-1910).
Since the 1990s, the vice presidential official residence is the Vice Presidential House in Bogotá, D.C.
History The second spouse's visibility in the public sphere is a recent development. While the role of the first lady as hostess of the Casa de Nariño dates back to the early days of the republic (and was usually filled by another member of the president's family if he was single or widowed), it wasn't until the late 21st century that vice presidents' wives assumed visible public roles.
The role of the second lady or gentleman is unpaid and not formally defined. Traditionally, the wife of the Vice President of Colombia was expected to act as hostess and appear at social events. The issue of the status of the second spouse became a topic of debate in 2023 when Yerney Pinillo, partner of Vice President Francia Márquez (2022-2026), assumed the role of escort during her official and state visits, since they were not married.
Luz María Zapata, wife of Vice President Germán Vargas Lleras, was the first second lady to significantly enhance the role of vice president's spouse. When Santos assumed office in 2010, the second lady's only official function was to accompany the vice president on official visits. However, Zapata promoted her own initiatives, without overshadowing those of first lady María Clemencia de Santos, and provided support during natural disasters, in addition to distinguishing herself through her personal achievements.
List + In the Great Colombia; Spouse of the vice president (1819–1831) Vice President Spouse TernureFrancisco Antonio ZeaFelipa Meilhon Montemayor de ZeaDecember 17, 1819 - March 21, 1820Juan Germán RoscioMaría Dolores CuevasMarch 21, 1820 – March 10, 1821Antonio NariñoMagdalena Ortega de NariñoApril 4, 1821 – June 6, 1821José María del CastilloTeresa de Rivas del CastilloJune 6, 1821 – October 3, 1821Francisco de Paula SantanderSixta Pontón de SantanderNovember 3, 1821 – September 19, 1827Domingo CaycedoJuana Jurado de CaycedoMay 3, 1830 – November 21, 1831 In the Republic of New Granada; Spouse of the vice president (1831–1858) Vice President Spouse TernureJosé María ObandoDolores Espinosa de los Monteros MesaNovember 23, 1831 – March 10, 1832José Ignacio de MárquezMaría Antonia del CastilloMarch 10, 1832 – October 7, 1832Joaquín MosqueraMaría Josefa Mosquera HurtadoMay 12, 1833 - April 1, 1835José Ignacio de MárquezMaría Antonia del CastilloApril 1, 1835 – April 1, 1837Domingo CaycedoJuana Jurado de CaycedoApril 1, 1837 – April 1, 1843 Joaquín Gori was a widower.April 1, 1843 – April 1, 1845Rufino CuervoMaría Francisca de UrisarriApril 1, 1845 - April 1, 1851José de ObaldíaAna María Gallegos CandanedoApril 1, 1851 - April 1, 1855Manuel María MallarinoMaría Mercedes CabalAugust 5, 1854 - April 1, 1855 Colombia; Second lady or second gentleman (1886–1905; 1994-present)Eliseo PayánCarmen Ospina Lenis de PayánDecember 13, 1887 – February 8, 1888Miguel Antonio CaroAna de Narváez de CaroAugust 7, 1892 – September 18, 1894José Manuel MarroquínMatilde Osorio de MarroquínAugust 7, 1898 – July 31, 1900Ramón González ValenciaAntonia Ferrero de GonzálezAugust 7, 1904 – March 10, 1905Humberto De la CalleRosalba Restrepo de la Calle7 August 1994 – 10 September 1996Carlos Lemos SimmondsMarta Blanco de LemosSeptember 19, 1996 – August 7, 1998Gustavo BellMaría Mercedes de la EspriellaAugust 7, 1998 – August 7, 2002Francisco Santos CalderónMaría Victoria García de SantosAugust 7, 2002 – August 7, 2010Angelino GarzónMonserrat Muñoz de GarzónAugust 7, 2010 – August 7, 2014Germán Vargas LlerasLuz María ZapataAugust 7, 2014 – March 21, 2017Óscar NaranjoClaudia LuqueMarch 29, 2017 – August 7, 2018Marta Lucía RamírezÁlvaro RincónAugust 7, 2018 – August 7, 2022Francia MárquezYerney PinilloAugust 7, 2022 – August 7, 2026José Manuel RestrepoTatiana CespedesAugust 7, 2026 – present--
See also First Lady of Colombia (list) Vice President of Colombia (list) Colombian order of precedence
References