Various pre-Columbian cultures flourished in Colombia.
Their level of craftmanship was unmatched in the continent, producing a very developed
goldwork. They also created impressive sculptures and developed cities still admired
today.
Some of the indigenous cultures in Colombia include the
Muisca, Tayrona, Sinú, Quimbaya, Tolima, Calima, Tierradentro, San Agustín, Nariño, and
Tumaco. Archeological sites like San Agustín and Tierradentro provide an
insight into these cultures and their accomplished development, as well as Ciudad Perdida
(Lost City), named like that because it was not until 1975 when this sacred
city was discovered high above in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
The first Spaniards landed on Colombia in 1499, and various
expeditions were launched to explore the new territory. Colombia was home to the legend of
El Dorado, and many were lured by the prospect of finding gold.
In 1538 the colony of Nueva Granada was established, and the
viceroyalty became an important source of income to the Kingdom of Spain, as well as an
strategic point. Economic advances based on trade, slavery and natural
resources, led to the development of prosperous local societies that looked after Spain
and Europe as a model. Feeling opressed by taxes and restrictions, many were
inspired to act decisively when the U.S. and French revolutions radically changed the
ideas about monarchy and the reigning political system.
Simon Bolivar, born from an elite family in Caracas,
liderated the armies of the independence movement that on August 7th,1819, ended the
Spanish rule in Colombia. He united Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador and formed La
Gran Colombia (The Great Colombia), a dream that lasted until 1830 when internal power
conflicts led Venezuela and Ecuador to break away.
In 1849 Colombia saw its two main parties formally
established: the Liberal party, based on Santander's federalist views, and the
Conservative party based on Bolivar's centralist ideas. Various conflicts
aroused between the two parties, leading in 1899 to the Guerra de los Mil Dias (Thousand
Days War).
In 1903 Panama became independent from Colombia, a separation
led by the interests of the United States over the newly constructed canal. In
general, the first half of the 20th century was calm and the country experienced economic
and technical development. But also inequalities in income distribution were
increasingly notorious, and the murder of the Liberal party's presidential candidate Jorge
Eliecer Gaitán on April 9, 1948, led to a wave of violence never seen before.
La Violencia (literally The Violence) was the name given to
the civil war that followed. It took around 300,000 lives. In 1953 the
military, led by Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, seized power in a coup. The military ruled
until 1957, when both the Liberal and Conservative parties decided to join in what was
called the Frente Nacional (National Front), agreeing upon each taking 4 year-turns
in running the country. The agreement lasted 16 years until 1974.
During the late 1980's and early 1990's the country struggled
with the drug cartels, a costly war for the country that effectively dismantled the
groups, only to see the drug business and increased violence coming from the
guerrillas.
The recent history of Colombia has also been the history of
great achievements in fields like medicine, arts and sports. A history of courage and
perseverance, of peace-loving people looking forward to the future.
