 During this time Zuluaga also served on the Board of Directors of the Bank of the Republic, Colombia's central bank, the National Federation of Merchants (Fenalco), the Federation of Metallurgical Industries of Colombia (Fedemetal), and the Colombo-Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce.In 2001 he became involved in Álvaro Uribe Vélez's presidential campaign.Zuluaga was elected to the Senate of Colombia in March 2002; Uribe was victorious in Presidential elections held two months later.