Colombia is named after Christopher Columbus, the legendary Italian explorer. The country was colonized by the Spanish and its people gained independence in 1819.
Colombians were deeply divided in political thought even after independence. On the one hand, there were the Conservatives who believed in a strong central government and limited voting rights. On the other hand, were the Liberals who demanded universal voting rights and powerful regional governments.
By the end of the nineteenth century, the price of coffee came down creating an economic crisis. In addition to it, Manuel Antonio Sanclemente, a Conservative leader was elected as the president. The Liberals accused the Conservatives of using unfair means to win the election. This sparked a conflict which later turned into the War of Thousand Days.
The Liberals were supported by Venezuela with money and arms. The war ended in 1902, with both the parties signing a peace treaty; but the conflict didn’t really stop here.
The rift between them intensified further which led to a period of unrest in 1940 that is now called ‘The Violence’.
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