La Violencia

La Violencia was a period of intense civil war in Colombia. It lasted for ten years, from 1948 to 1958. The conflict was fought primarily between two political groups. One was the Colombian Conservative Party. The other was the Colombian Liberal Party. While political leaders fought in cities, much of the actual combat occurred in the countryside. This era fundamentally changed the social and political landscape of the nation.

The conflict involved several different types of armed groups. On one side were the Colombian Military Forces and the National Police. They received support from Conservative paramilitary groups. These were organized groups of civilians fighting for the Conservative cause. On the other side were paramilitary and guerrilla groups. These groups aligned with the Liberal Party and the Colombian Communist Party.

Historians debate exactly when the violence began. Some point to the 1946 election of Mariano Ospina Pérez. He was a member of the Conservative Party. After his victory, the government used the police and army to repress Liberal protesters. This led to increased tension and violence between peasants and landowners. In 1947 alone, an estimated 14,000 people died due to this rising conflict.

A major turning point occurred on April 9, 1948. A popular Liberal leader named Jorge Eliécer Gaitán was assassinated in Bogotá. He was a presidential candidate and a frontrunner for the upcoming election. His murder triggered a massive riot known as the Bogotazo. This unrest lasted for ten hours and caused around 5,000 casualties. The Bogotazo sparked popular uprisings across the entire country. This event moved the conflict from political tension to widespread civil war.

During the war, the government and rebel groups used various tactics. In the Eastern Plains, a guerrilla leader named Eliseo Velásquez led groups known as "cowboys." These rebels fought against the Conservative army. The government responded with heavy offensives. They burned villages and set up blockades in certain regions. In 1953, rebel groups even attempted to attack the Palanquero Air Base. They hoped to use jet planes to bomb Bogotá and force a change in government. This attack failed, but it caused great fear among the elites.

The human cost of La Violencia was immense. Because records from this time are fragmented, exact numbers are hard to find. However, scholars estimate that between 200,000 and 300,000 people died. This represented almost 1 in 50 Colombians. Additionally, between 600,000 and 800,000 people were injured. Nearly one million people were displaced from their homes. The conflict affected roughly 20 percent of the total population.

The war began to end through several different stages. In 1953, General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla took power. He declared an amnesty to encourage guerrillas to surrender. Many prominent leaders, like Guadalupe Salcedo, signed agreements to stop fighting. However, some fighters did not surrender. They formed criminal bands called bandoleros. One such leader, Tirofijo, eventually founded the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

Civilian rule was finally restored in 1958. Moderate Conservatives and Liberals joined together in a coalition called the National Front. This system allowed the two parties to share power and alternate the presidency. To understand the causes of the war, the government created a special commission in 1958. This commission was led by Bishop Germán Guzmán Campos. The National Front helped stabilize the country after a decade of intense struggle.