OTL reference[]
| Colombian Politics |
| US Politics |
| World Politics |
| Differences with OTL |
The assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, the 9th April, 1948, one of the most popular political leaders in Colombia, and most probable candidate to win the 1950 presidential elections, provoked a social uprising, called el Bogotazo.
Political violence in Colombia came before this incident, but Gaitán's death and the following government by Laureano Gómez, escalated the violence into a period so called: La Violencia. After this, liberal guerrillas became communist, and Colombia is still suffering from those events.
The consequences of the assassination are not limited to Colombia. Fidel Castro was in Bogotá during el Bogotazo and was inspired by this uprising to lead his revolution in Cuba.
There are a lot of theories on the assassination of Gaitán. The official version was that Roa Sierra did it on his own, probably wanting to prove to the woman he was in love with that he was not a mediocre person. But there are also several conspiracy theories: theories that are fed by the refusal of the CIA to release information on the subject.
For the POD I will suppose that the official version is right and that the OTL refusals by the CIA do not pretend to hide their participation in a conspiracy to murder, but to protect the fact that they would have talked to Gaitan to ensure that he would protect US interests if he gets to power.
POD[]
Roa Sierra decided to pick another target to prove to his girlfriend he was not a nobody. The event does not go beyond the yellow press.
Student Fidel Castro returned to Cuba to specialize in law, sympathizing and supporting the rebels in his home country but in no way inspiring them.
In 1950, Gaitán is elected President.
Timeline[]
- The presidency of Ospina Pérez (1946-1950)
- Presidente Gaitán (1950-1954)
- War in Korea (1951-1953)
- Presidente Echandía (1954-1958)
- The Cuban Civil War (1955-1962)
- President Nixon (1961-69)