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In December 1928, striking banana-plantation workers for the United Fruit Company in the town of Ciénaga, Magdalena Department, were met by Colombian army troops who fired on a crowd of workers and their families. Estimates of the death toll vary widely from fewer than 50 to over 1,000. This event became emblematic of labour-conflict, US-corporate influence, and state violence in Colombia, and is though tohaye influenced Go to website social and political movenents. -
This short-lived border war between Colombia and Peru over the Leticia region (in the Amazon) lasted from 1932 to 1933. It ended with Colombia retaining the status quo under a protocol and the earlier Salomón-Lozano Treaty. It marks one of the major inter-state conflicts for Colombia in the 20th century, emphasising the strategic importance of its Amazon territory -
Following the Bogotazo and Gaitán's assassination, Colombia entered a brutal civil violence phase between Liberal and Conservative supporters, especially in rural areas. The death toll is estimated at over 200,000 people.This period deeply traumatised Colombian society, created large-scale displacement and laid the groundwork for later armed insurgencies -
The charismatic liberal leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán was assassinated in Bogotá on 9 April 1948. His death triggered massive riots in the capital (known as the Bogotazo) and rapidly escalated into the broader decade-long period of civil unrest called La Violencia.This event is a key turning point in Colombian history it shattered the relative calm between political parties and ushered in intense rural violence. -
Members of the M-19 took over the Palace of Justice building in Bogotá, holding hostages
including Supreme Court justices. The army
retook the building, and many were killed in the ensuing fire and combat including judges, guerrillas and soldiers.This dramatic event had major legal and institutional consequences, deepening mistrust of the state and the justice system. -
The M-19 was an urban guerrilla group active in the 1970s and 1980s. It carried out high-profile actions like the 1985 siege of the Palace of Justice in Bogota.Its demobilisation in 1990 and transformation
into a political party illustrate the shifting nature of insurgency in Colombia. -
The government reached a landmark peace deal with the main guerrilla group FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), ending formally over five decades of armed conflict.This marked one of the most hopeful moments in recent Colombian history, creating space for political reform, though many challenges remain in implementation and residual violence -
Petro, a former M-19 member and mayor of Bogotá, won the 2022 presidential election, becoming Colombia's first left-wing president. Al Jazeera His victory reflects changing political dynamics in Colombia, with focus on social inequality, environment and the legacy of conflict. -
In 2022, major demonstrations erupted in Colombia in response to proposed state reforms (taxation, defence, anti-corruption) under the new government.These protests highlight the deep social tensions and the challenge of governance in the post- conflict and pandemic era. -
Even after the 2016 peace deal, Colombia faces ongoing violence from dissident factions of FARC, the guerrilla group ELN and other illegal armed groups. For example, in 2024-25 the expansion of such groups and their abuses were documented by rights organisations. This underscores how the legacy of conflict and the challenges of transition continue to shape Colombia's present.