One of the most common (and nefarious) types of political figures in Latin America during its independent history was that of the military dictator, who, besides using various unlawful methods to remain in power (to put it mildly) and being incredibly corrupt in most cases, was often subordinate to the whims of a foreign power, usually the United States. They were a staple of Latin American politics, with most countries possessing at least a handful of them over the course of their history.
Unlike most of its neighbors, however, Colombia had only one such ruler during the 20th century: Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, who governed the country from 1953 to 1957. Taking power under a context of extreme political instability (a civil war known as La Violencia), Rojas' dictatorship was characterized by severe repression of any form of opposition, combined with large investments in infrastructure and the extension of the right to vote to women. He also sought to create a political faction of his own to serve as an alternative to the duopoly formed by the Liberal and Conservative parties, and this, combined with his attempt to get a second consecutive term as president, led to his downfall after a general strike.
However, Rojas' fall from power did not lead to the end his political career. He founded a new party, the National Popular Alliance (ANAPO), and the number of legislators (deputies and senators) under its banner grew at a steady pace over the course of the 1960s, probably due to popular dissatisfaction with the National Front (an agreement in which the Liberals and Conservatives shared power by rotating the presidency). Rojas' ban from politics was lifted due to a decision by the Supreme Court, and this gave him a chance to run for the presidency of Colombia in 1970.
The 1970 presidential election was an extremely close race, and the National Front's candidate, Misael Pastrana, prevailed over Rojas by a margin of just 1.6%, or 63.000 votes out of almost four million. Rojas' supporters immediately said the election was fraudulent, and the popular backlash led to the creation of the guerrilla group M-19 (the same guys who would later take the Colombian Supreme Court hostage)... or so they claim.
So, what if the result of the 1970 election was different, and Gustavo Rojas Pinilla returned to the presidency 13 years after his ouster? It is important to note that, despite its growth, ANAPO did not have a majority in either house of Congress, so Rojas (who, from what I could gather, was a Perón-esque populist) would have to make a deal with either the Conservatives or the Liberals to govern effectively. He was also an old man by this point, one who died in January 1975 IOTL. Lastly, how could his administration handle the ongoing conflict with FARC and the eventual rise of the drug cartels?
Unlike most of its neighbors, however, Colombia had only one such ruler during the 20th century: Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, who governed the country from 1953 to 1957. Taking power under a context of extreme political instability (a civil war known as La Violencia), Rojas' dictatorship was characterized by severe repression of any form of opposition, combined with large investments in infrastructure and the extension of the right to vote to women. He also sought to create a political faction of his own to serve as an alternative to the duopoly formed by the Liberal and Conservative parties, and this, combined with his attempt to get a second consecutive term as president, led to his downfall after a general strike.
However, Rojas' fall from power did not lead to the end his political career. He founded a new party, the National Popular Alliance (ANAPO), and the number of legislators (deputies and senators) under its banner grew at a steady pace over the course of the 1960s, probably due to popular dissatisfaction with the National Front (an agreement in which the Liberals and Conservatives shared power by rotating the presidency). Rojas' ban from politics was lifted due to a decision by the Supreme Court, and this gave him a chance to run for the presidency of Colombia in 1970.
The 1970 presidential election was an extremely close race, and the National Front's candidate, Misael Pastrana, prevailed over Rojas by a margin of just 1.6%, or 63.000 votes out of almost four million. Rojas' supporters immediately said the election was fraudulent, and the popular backlash led to the creation of the guerrilla group M-19 (the same guys who would later take the Colombian Supreme Court hostage)... or so they claim.
So, what if the result of the 1970 election was different, and Gustavo Rojas Pinilla returned to the presidency 13 years after his ouster? It is important to note that, despite its growth, ANAPO did not have a majority in either house of Congress, so Rojas (who, from what I could gather, was a Perón-esque populist) would have to make a deal with either the Conservatives or the Liberals to govern effectively. He was also an old man by this point, one who died in January 1975 IOTL. Lastly, how could his administration handle the ongoing conflict with FARC and the eventual rise of the drug cartels?
Last edited: