“Violencia” as a phenomenon of Colombian political culture: An overview of genesis

Abstract

Modern Colombia is distinguished from other Latin American countries by the decades-long armed conflict between government forces and guerrilla organizations. The origin of the guerilla (guerrilla war) was directly related to the unresolved agrarian question and the preservation of latifundism. This long-standing confrontation between the state and the rebels has a devastating impact on all the spheres of life of Colombians and results in thousands of deaths annually. Violence in various forms has become part and parcel of social and political life, affecting the worldview of Colombians and the formation of national identity. The article focuses on the peculiarities of modern political culture in Colombia and attempts to identify the reasons for the emergence of the guerrilla movement, which remains relevant to this day. The armed conflict is rooted in the so-called “violencia”, generated by the struggle for the hegemony of traditional political parties (Liberal and Conservative) in the 20th century. “Violencia” in a broad sense includes a whole hierarchy of violence in different spheres of life: violence against indigenous people, segregation, long-standing machismo and cacicism. The spread of violence has even led to the emergence of a special science in Colombia — “violenciology”. Experts in violenciology are trying to understand the cause and effect of this phenomenon. The study of the history of the formation of “violencia” allows us to answer the question of why violence has become an integral part of Colombian culture and way of life. To meet this end, the author focused on the events of the 1940s, when, amidst the large-scale repression, Colombia witnessed the emergence of the charismatic political leader Jorge Eliecer Gaitan. His nonconformist ideas and the broad social movement he led raised serious concerns among supporters of the two-party oligarchy. The murder of Gaitan 9 April 1948 led to a popular protest — “Bogotaso” and retaliatory violence from the state, forming a new cultural factor affecting the ways of life of Colombians.