COLOMBIA Introduction

Geography  Regions –Andes –Atlantic Coast –Pacific Coast –Jungle (Leticia Corridor)

People  Population (35 million )  Ethnicity  Caucasians (relatively more than in other Latin American countries)  Mestizos –Largest demographic group –Predominate in highlands  Indians (highlands and jungle)  Mulattos - African-Colombians –Primarily on the coasts

Cartagena: Fortress of Spanish America

Bogota – Not quite a Primate City

Other Cities of Colombia  Medellin: industry  Cali: Gateway to the Pacific  Baranquilla: Caribbean commerce  Bucamaranga: vibrant city of the interior

Leticia: Colombia’s Window on the Amazon River

Great Depression gives rise to Liberal hegemony  Historic struggle between Liberals and Conservatives –Pro-clerical –Dominate until the Great Depression  State intervention in economy under Alfonso López Pumarejo –Anti-clerical –Majority party since the Great Depression

Return of the Conservatives  1946 election of Mariano Ospina Pérez (Conservative) –La Violencia begins in 1946 –14,000 killed in 1947 alone

1948 assassination of Jorge Gaitán leads to Bogotazo  State of siege declared by civilian government  Civilian politicians lose their legitimacy

Dictatorship of Gen. Gustavo Rojas Pinilla  Conservative split  Liberal support for military intervention  July 13, 1953 military Golpe  Progress in pacification

Colombian Military: anti-oligarchy accent takes hold  Amnesty for Communists  Pacification of countryside leads to sympathy for the peasants  Beginnings of military populism  Economic crisis and suspension of credit by World Bank leads to removal

The National Front  Created by Alberto Lleras Camargo (Liberal) and Laureano Gómez (Conservative)  Stipulations –Alternation –Parity in congress, cabinet, governors mayors –No new parties –Merit in lower civil service –Two-thirds majority in congress to pass legislation

Period of National Front Rule  Liberals –Alberto Lleras Camargo ( ) –Carlos Lleras Restrepo ( )  Conservatives –Guillermo Leon Valencia ( ) –Misael Pistrana Borrero ( )

ANAPO and the End of the National Front  Rojas wins in the cities but official returns claim that he lost  Rojas: aged and in poor health –Acquiesces to defeat –ANAPO institutionalized as a political party –Transfer of leadership to daughter María Eugenia

End of National Front  National Front dissolves in 1974  Behind the scenes cooperation continues between Liberals and Conservatives