La Violencia

La Violencia was a period of civil conflict happening within Columbia from roughly 1948 - 1958, which was fought between between the supporters of the Colombian Liberal Party and the Colombian Conservative Party. Some historians disagree on how this conflict began: some agree that it began in 1946 when the Conservative Party reclaimed government position, while others agree that it began with the assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, one of the most charismatic leaders of the Liberal Party, as well as a leader of the populist movement in Columbia. As the overwhelming chaos built up during the years of La Violencia, and since the lack of security did not help, an estimated million people had abandoned their homes. Media and news station purposely gave incorrect news coverages, in fear of being attacked. During this time, a vast majority of the population were Catholic. Much of the press reported supporting the Church authorities  for the Conservative Party and included unproved accusations against several priests, such as Miguel Ángel Builes, and the Santa Rosa de Cabal Bishop, about openly encouraging the congregation during Mass to murder the political opposition, accusing them of being Masons and Jews and write Pastoral Letters with the same ideas. Most of the armed groups (called bandoleros, a pejorative term) were demobilized when General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla after he took power in 1953. The most prominent bandolero leaders, Guadalupe Salcedo and Juan de la Cruz Varela signed the 1953 agreement (Salcedo was killed in Bogotá years later, in 1957). The last bandolero leaders were killed in combat against the Army. Jacinto Cruz Usma, A.K.A. Sangrenegra (Blackblood), died in April 1964 and Efraín Gonzáles in June 1965.