Julio César Turbay Ayala was the President of Colombia from 1978 till 1982. Even after leaving office, he continued to be a prominent figure in the Colombian Liberal Party.
In late 1990, his daughter and journalist Diana Turbay was kidnapped by the Medellín cartel upon her rival Valeria Velez' request. Turbay urged President César Gaviria to negotiate her release with drug lord Pablo Escobar, despite the President having a policy of no negotiations with terrorists. In January 1991, her daughter was killed in the crossfire between the cartel and the Search Bloc. Her death became a moment of national tragedy, and forced President Gaviria to cave into Escobar's demands.