José Manuel Restrepo, the "super minister" who has already supervised Coljuegos, becomes Colombia's vice president
Abelardo De La Espriella and José Manuel Restrepo, president-elect and vice-president of Colombia
The economist, who was Minister of Commerce and Finance under Iván Duque, took office on August 7 as the country's vice president alongside President Abelardo de la Espriella. From the Treasury, he had direct supervision over Coljuegos, the sector's regulator, and has already been involved in episodes with the industry during the pandemic.
José Manuel Restrepo Abondano, a 55-year-old economist born in Bogotá, took office on August 7 as vice president of Colombia for the period 2026-2030, with President Abelardo de la Espriella. The candidacy was announced on March 10, 2026; the formula was the most voted in the first round on May 31, and was confirmed in the second round on June 21, after beating Senator Iván Cepeda, of the Historical Pact.
Restrepo trained at the Gimnasio Campestre in Bogotá and graduated as an economist, with a specialization in Finance, at the Universidad del Rosario. He completed his training in the United Kingdom, with a master's degree in Economics from the London School of Economics and a PhD in Management of Higher Education Institutions from the University of Bath, in addition to senior management studies at the Inalde Business School. Before his time in politics, he served as manager of Financial Planning and Budget of Fonade and as rector of three institutions: CESA, Universidad del Rosario and Universidad EIA.
Two ministries, a key portfolio for the game
Restrepo arrives at the position with a career that places him as one of the best-known profiles in the Colombian gaming industry in recent years. He assumed the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism on August 7, 2018, at the beginning of Iván Duque's government, and remained at the head of that portfolio until May 2021, leading, among other things, business reactivation strategies after the initial blow of the pandemic.
On May 3, 2021, following Alberto Carrasquilla's resignation amid social protests over the tax reform, Duque appointed him Minister of Finance and Public Credit, a position he officially assumed on May 18 — the portfolio directly to which Coljuegos, the state regulator that has administered Colombia's gaming monopoly since 2011, directly reports.
Restrepo's time in the gaming industry is especially reminiscent of the surprise visit to the Luckia casino in Bogotá to verify the sanitary protocols after the reopening of casinos and bingo halls in the midst of the pandemic — a visit that Fecoljuegos described as "excellent" in terms of the organization of biosecurity measures.
As Minister of Finance, in June 2021 he participated in the first financial meeting of the gambling sector held in Colombia, where he stated that the Government expected the industry to contribute 6% to the country's economy, highlighting the role of strengthening online gambling in the post-covid economic reactivation.
A surname with history
Restrepo belongs to a family with a long weight in Colombian political history. He is a descendant of the enlightened and politician José Manuel Restrepo Vélez, from whom he inherits the name, and his family tree connects him – by different branches – with three former presidents of the Republic: Francisco de Paula Santander, Carlos Lleras Restrepo and Carlos Eugenio Restrepo. By the same family line, he is distantly related to former President Alberto Lleras Camargo and former Vice President Germán Vargas Lleras.
Ending a two-day bilateral agenda with more than 20 nations that will join us on a historic day for Colombia.
— José Manuel Restrepo Abondano (@jrestrp) August 7, 2026
Honored by each international meeting that allowed us to begin the path of building the #PatriaMilagro.
See you in possession of the... pic.twitter.com/VF44MLi5Rn
