The Bogotazo: How One Shot Ignited Colombia's Century

On April 9, 1948, the assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán in downtown Bogotá didn't just kill a man; it shattered a fragile democracy and unleashed four days of uncontrolled violence known as the Bogotazo. This episode explores the immediate aftermath of that night, tracing how the mob’s destruction of the city center reshaped Colombian politics for decades. We examine the role of Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, who capitalized on the chaos to seize power, and the complex web of partisan hatred between Liberals and Conservatives that turned grief into fire. You will hear about the burning of cinemas, the looting of shops, and the specific decisions made by police and military leaders that either fueled or failed to contain the inferno. It is a story of how a single moment of collective rage rewired a nation's social contract.

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