The party was first created under the name of Citizen Convergence (Spanish: Convergencia Ciudadana) by Luis Alberto Gil Colorado (former member of the M-19 guerrilla) in 1997. In 2002 it decided to help the government of president Alvaro Uribe without being part of it. During this time, it received politicians rejected by other Uribist groups due to their links with Paramilitarism.[citation needed]