Jorge Eliecer Gaitan: The Assassination of a Colombian Icon

In a day of remembrance, Colombians across the nation commemorate the 76th anniversary of the assassination of Jorge Eliecer Gaitan on April 9 every year. Gaitan was a towering liberal leader whose death sent shockwaves through the country’s political landscape and changed its trajectory forever. Gaitan was known for his charisma and populist ideology. He was gunned down in downtown Bogota during the convening of the Ninth Inter-American Conference on April 9, 1948. His assassination unleashed an unprecedented wave of violence and chaos that historians later named “The Bogotazo”.  These riots left a scar on Colombian society and started a dark period in the country’s history known as The Violence. 

As a political leader, Gaitan was characterized by his advocacy for working-class rights, farmers, and indigenous communities. Even though he was a lawyer, he took on massive public roles such as Mayor of Bogota and Minister of Education. He assumed leadership of the most radical factions of the Colombian liberal party in 1946.  He also ran for office in opposition to the official candidate of the Liberal Party, Gabriel Turbay. This ultimately cost the Liberals, and Conservative candidate Mariano Ospina Perez was elected. 

Why was Jorge Eliecer Gaitan assassinated in Colombia?

No one knows for sure why Jorge Eliecer Gaitan was murdered. However, there have been many stories that surround the assassination, including CIA conspiracy theories. The perpetrator, Juan Roa Sierra, was an outcast who had asked Gaitan for a job but was not given a position. That is what many believe to be the motive for the assassination. There is also speculation of a conspiracy that suggests involvement by the conservative government of Mariano Ospina Perez. At the time, animosity between Conservatives and Liberals was at an all-time high in Colombia. In addition to this, tensions inside the liberal party were also very high given that Gaitan had previously antagonized the party’s leadership. 

Juan Roa Sierra also met a violent demise. After murdering Jorge Eliecer Gaitan in cold blood, Roa tried to flee the scene on foot. He was chased through the streets of Bogota by an angry mob. He tried to hide inside a drugstore, but the mob broke into the establishment, and he was subsequently killed. 

What was the Bogotazo?

The news of Gaitan’s assassination spread like wildfire through the city. This sparked a series of riots that destroyed large parts of downtown Bogota. It is estimated that the total death toll during the riots was somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 people. The riots lasted 10 hours, and during that time the city was overwhelmed by chaos. 

The riot’s result was especially ironic given that just before his death, Gairan had led a peaceful protest known as the March of Silence. 100,000 people came out to march and show their support for the Liberal Leader and his vision for the country.