Jorge Gaitan

The End Of A Colombian Dream

Part of the Series: Political Assassination Series

On April 9, 1948, despite strong social tensions, US general Marshall opens the 9th Pan-American conference in Colombia's capital Bogota. Jorge Gaitan, the popular opposition leader and fierce opponent to the Colombian oligarchy, is shot dead. The aftermath? Two days of riots that left 5,000 dead and a guerrilla war that we still know today.