THE

BOGOTAZO

Sebastian Caicedo
Mateo Paez
Juan Landaeta
Camila Torres
Linday Santana
Samuel Suarez
The Bogotazo
The Bogotazo was a significant
historical event that occurred
on April 9, 1948, in Bogotá,
Colombia. It was triggered by
the assassination of the
political leader Jorge Eliécer
Gaitán, who was a popular and
charismatic figure in Colombia.
His death led to massive riots,
looting, and violence in the
streets of Bogotá, later
spreading to other cities in the
country.
The Bogotazo marked the
beginning of a period of violence
known as "La Violencia," which
lasted approximately a decade
and resulted in thousands of
deaths and displacements of
people. This event had profound
political and social implications in
Colombia's history, shaping the
course of the country in the
following decades
Why did the Bogotazo happen?
The assassination of the liberal leader Jorge
Eliécer Gaitán that occurred on April 9, 1948 in
Bogotá by Juan Roa Sierra, unleashed popular
uprisings throughout the country. In Bogotá,
massive looting occurred and several buildings
in the center were reduced to rubble. Juan Roa
Sierra, the alleged perpetrator of the
assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, was
brutally murdered by the crowd moments after
Gaitán's murder. Roa's naked and destroyed
body was finally left lying in front of the
Presidential Palace, where he remained for two
days, during which time everyone who entered
the Palace had to observe him.
Trams, churches, public and
private buildings were set on
fire. The result of the revolt
was hundreds of dead and
wounded. 142 buildings went
down and as the afternoon
progressed the angry mob
armed itself, breaking into
hardware stores and police
stations, where some officers
handed over their weapons to
save their lives.
Consequences of the Bogotazo
The consequences were
devastating, including numerous
deaths, destruction of property,
and deep political instability that
lasted for decades. This also
fueled the beginning of the period
known as "La Violencia" in
Colombia, characterized by armed
conflicts between different
political factions and guerrilla
groups, leaving a legacy of
division and violence in the
country.
It was a death that multiplied
into three hundred thousand
deaths and caused the forced
displacement of more than two
million people, a fifth of the
population, which at that time
was estimated at eleven million
inhabitants; It also caused the
destruction of a good part of the
capital.
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