Gustavo Rojas Pinilla was a civil and political engineer born in Tunja (Colombia) in March 1900. In 1953, he led a coup that led him to the presidency of the country after overthrowing Laureano Gómez. His stage as the highest president lasted from June of that same year until May 1957..
Rojas came to power during a period of great instability in Colombia. The politician justified the bloodless coup by the need to pacify the country and restore democratic normality. His first measures included the formation of a civic-military government and the amnesty granted to guerrillas..
The Rojas government applied strict censorship of the press. Likewise, it repressed opposition groups, outlawed the communists and excluded the supporters of Laureano Gómez from any political responsibility..
After losing power, Rojas was replaced by a military government and was subjected to impeachment. After spending a few years in exile, the politician returned to Colombia and ran in the 1970 presidential elections. Amid allegations of fraud, Rojas was narrowly defeated.
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Gustavo Rojas Pinilla came to the world on March 12, 1900 in Tanja, in the bosom of a conservative family. His father was Colonel Julio Rojas, who had participated in the Thousand Day War.
Rojas spent his early years in his hometown, in Villa de Leyva and on a farm located in Arcabuco (Boyacá). In Tunja he attended the College of the Sisters of Presentation and, later, the Normal School for Men. In the latter he obtained his qualification as a superior normalista.
At the age of 16 and 17 he developed high school studies at the Colegio de Boyacá, where he obtained a bachelor of science degree.
Rojas Pinilla's career in the army began with his entry into the Cadet School in 1920. After three years, the future president achieved the rank of lieutenant. In 1924 he requested retirement from active duty to study Civil Engineering at Trine University, Indiana (USA)..
Rojas graduated as a civil engineer in 1927 and immediately began to participate in various projects related to his studies within the military career.
The beginning of the war between Colombia and Peru, in 1932, caused that Rojas had to return to active service. Four years later, he began working as an engineer in the Army munitions factory and, as part of his assignment, he was sent to Germany to buy the necessary machinery..
In 1943, Rojas traveled to the United States with the mission of buying material for the Armed Forces. After returning, he was appointed deputy director of the Higher School of War and, in 1945, director of Civil Aeronautics. From this position, he developed an aeronautical project called Runways in Colombia, which helped him to promote to Colonel..
His next promotion made him commander of the Third Brigade in Cali, where he pacified the rebellion caused by the assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán in April 1948. This work was recognized by the conservative president of Colombia, Mariano Ospina and earned him promotion to the degree of general.
This recognition was fundamental for his entry into politics: on December 3, 1949, Rojas Pinillas was appointed Minister of Posts and Telegraphs.
President Laureano Gómez appointed Rojas Chief of the Army General Staff. However, for a time he was unable to hold office, as he was elected as the delegate of Colombia to the UN. From this position, Rojas was responsible for organizing the battalion that his country formed to support the Americans in the Korean War..
In May 1953, with Roberto Urdaneta as president, Rojas was promoted to lieutenant general.
Gaitán's assassination was the beginning of a historical period called La Violencia, in which liberals and conservatives clashed in an undeclared civil war throughout the country..
Among the political consequences were the closure of Parliament, closed since November 1949, and the refusal of the Liberal Party to stand for election. For this reason, the Liberals did not recognize President Laureano Gómez.
In 1951, Gómez's poor health led to his replacement by Roberto Urdaneta. He tried to open a round of negotiations with the armed groups of the Eastern Plains to end the violence, but was unsuccessful. The repression of the liberals intensified.
After the elections to the House of Representatives of 1953, in which the Liberals did not participate, the crisis worsened.
According to some historians, the coup led by Rojas Pinilla was not a planned act, but occurred almost spontaneously. The plan of the then general had been to strike a coup against Laureano Gómez, who maintained his influence in the government, and ensure that Roberto Urdaneta remained in power..
Gómez was promoting a constitutional reform and the convening of a National Constituent Assembly. The first meetings of this were scheduled for June 15, 1953. Urdaneta's refusal caused Gómez to take office again, despite not being able to leave his home..
Rojas, encouraged by sectors of the army, made the decision to carry out the coup on the same day it took place, June 13.
The Rojas coup unfolded peacefully, without bloodshed. The general even ordered to protect the house and life of Laureano Gómez.
The National Constituent Assembly legitimized the result of the coup on June 18, 1953, five days after it occurred. As approved, his mandate was to last until August 7, 1954.
Although it was a transitory body, the Assembly was used frequently during the Rojas government. In it there was a very clear conservative majority, with Ospina Pérez as its leader.
Three months later, Rojas Pinilla reached an agreement with the liberal guerrillas to decree an armistice.
After the end of the presidential period approved by the National Constituent Assembly, Rojas Pinilla requested and managed to extend it until 1958.
The political program that he presented was based on a social reformism with a military style, with great overtones of nationalism..
Rojas's declared intention was to carry out social and economic reforms and implement a policy of order. To do this, it promoted an alliance with various sectors of power, such as the Army and the Church, offering at the same time improvement for the most disadvantaged classes.
The National Constituent Assembly changed its composition and the supporters of Rojas Pinilla became the new majority. At the end of April 1957, the body approved a new extension of its presidency: until 1962.
The opposition to Rojas Pinilla was growing and more aggressive. Thus, on May 10, 1957, a Military Junta took over power and dissolved the Assembly.
The politician accepted this circumstance, thus avoiding any confrontations in the country. After that, he went into exile, although his exact destination is not known. Some sources claim that he moved to Spain, while others point out that he went to the Dominican Republic.
The National Front (an agreement between conservatives and liberals to share power) carried out a political trial of the deposed president between 1958 and 1959. Rojas Pinilla was convicted and lost his political rights.
However, seven years later, the Superior Court of Cundinamarca restored his political rights. A year later, in 1967, the Supreme Court of Justice confirmed this ruling.
The exact date of Rojas Pinilla's return to Colombia is not known. A political party created by its followers, the ANAPO (Popular National Alliance) stood in the elections of the public corporations in March 1962 and in the presidential elections the following year, with Rojas Pinilla as the candidate..
ANAPO came in fourth place in the voting, but its votes were declared invalid due to the disqualification of Rojas Pinillas and for opposing the National Front.
When Rojas regained his rights, ANAPO won quite a few seats in Congress in 1968 and prepared for the 1970 presidential elections..
The popularity of ANAPO and Rojas Pinillas had not stopped growing during that time. The National Front presented as a candidate Misael Pastrana Borrero, the main favorite to occupy the presidency.
The official result showed very even figures: 1,625,025 votes for Pastrana and 1,561,468 for Rojas. The first was declared the winner by the Electoral Court, but the followers of Rojas began to denounce electoral fraud.
Among those who denounced the fraud were several groups from the radical left and students. Part of them founded a guerrilla movement, the M-19.
Gustavo Rojas Pinilla died of a heart attack on January 17, 1975, while he was on his estate in Melgar. The former president was buried in the central cemetery of Bogotá.
His daughter, María Eugenia Rojas, followed in her father's footsteps in politics. Defending her legacy, she was a senator and candidate in the presidential elections.
Rojas Pinilla proposed to pacify the country as the first measure of his government. To achieve this, he had to end bipartisan violence. In addition, he affirmed that, in the medium term, democratic institutions should be recovered.
That last point implied that his stay in power should be temporary, only until he managed to pacify the country and give it an economic and social boost..
His policy of pacification began with the amnesty proposal for the guerrillas, as well as the implementation of an economic reconstruction program in the areas most affected by the fighting. In practice, it got some groups to lay down their arms, but not those of communist ideology.
Rojas ruled the country by decrees, just as Laureano Gómez had done. For the de facto president, the traditional parties had failed, so he proposed a binomial people-military forces as the basis of his government.
After finishing the first period granted by the National Constituent Assembly, Rojas Pinilla announced his desire to extend it. Despite the fact that the body was controlled by the conservatives, it agreed to extend its mandate until 1958.
Rojas took advantage of the time to get away from the support of the two traditional parties and to try to create a third political force. In this way, he tried to create a social alliance between the workers, the military and the middle classes, all under social Catholic principles and Bolivarian ideas.
On January 9, 1955, the Popular Action Movement was born, the party formed to support Rojas. Traditional political forces began attacking the president from the media.
In this video you can hear a speech by Rojas Pinilla in 1955:
The Rojas dictatorship instituted legal measures to prevent press criticism of officials. In addition, the government encouraged the opening of media favorable to the government, while harassing opponents by enacting tax laws against them..
On May 6, 1954, Rojas issued a decree ordering all newspapers to adhere to the account of the events, which were offered by the government. In his campaign against the press, he closed Unity, a weekly newspaper that had published a manifesto against him. Defamation against the military government was punishable by several years in prison.
Finally, on September 30, 1955, the government instituted censorship and the closure of several opposition newspapers..
On the other hand, Rojas also repressed the Protestants as part of his alliance with the Catholic Church. The imprisonment of a missionary from the United States led to a diplomatic incident with that country.
As noted, Rojas tried to follow the more social principles preached by Catholicism. Thus, he carried out some social reforms that benefited the lower classes, since, according to the president himself, “one cannot speak of peace without social justice and just distribution and enjoyment of wealth.
The government combined social and educational measures with the protection of capital. Workers and capitalists had to abandon discrepancies and collaborate for the good of the nation.
His measures included a nationwide infrastructure construction program and, in order to pay for it, he created an income and wealth tax. This caused the discontent of the most privileged.
Rojas also founded two public banks to stimulate the economy, despite the rejection of private banking institutions..
The Rojas dictatorship had an unexpected political effect for Colombia: the union between conservatives and liberals after years of confrontation, sometimes violent. The leaders of both parties began a dialogue with the intention of forming a common front to end the government.
The result of the negotiations was the creation of the National Front. This consisted of an agreement to distribute power peacefully, with alternation at the head of the government and with an equitable participation in each political institution..
Until November 1956, the National Constituent Assembly had been led by the conservative Mariano Ospina.
Rojas' attempt to include 25 more members in the Assembly, all his supporters to ensure his re-election, led to Ospina's resignation.
Conservatives and Liberals had already signed the first agreement related to the National Front and began to block Rojas' re-election. This caused the members of the Assembly loyal to the president to decide to dissolve it..
On April 11, 1957, the Assembly was reconvened, but with new members who supported Rojas. In the session of April 30, the body began to debate the extension of the presidential term of Rojas.
The arrest of conservative Guillermo León on May 1 accelerated plans to overthrow Rojas. The plan consisted of the call for student demonstrations, industry and banking closures, and strikes. These actions were scheduled, at the earliest, for the month of June. However, the accumulated tension caused events to move forward.
On May 6, unions, students, banks, industry, the Church and the parties called for a great national party to oppose the re-election of Rojas.
This strike, known as the May days, achieved its purpose on the 10th of that month. Rojas resigned from reelection and announced that he was leaving the presidency. In its place, a transitional military government was appointed.
That same day, Rojas Pinilla went into exile. Some sources indicate that his destination was Spain, while others affirm that it was the Dominican Republic.
One of Rojas Pinilla's priorities during his tenure was the construction of new infrastructures, perhaps due to his training as a civil engineer.
In this way, he ordered the construction of a large number of schools and universities, expanded the highway that linked Tunja with Bogotá, brought electricity to Boyacá and built the aqueducts of Teatinos de Tunja, Sogamoso and Belencito.
Likewise, during his government, the works on the Paz de Rïo Military Hospital and Steelworks were completed. In addition, other infrastructures were built such as the Municipal Palace, the Military Industry of Sogamoso, the Chiquinquirá milk plant and the Transmisora de Independencia.
Finally, his government was also responsible for the construction of the Lebrija hydroelectric dam, the Barrancabermeja refinery, the Astronomical Observatory or the highway between Bogotá and Chia..
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