National symbology, liberalism, and violence

Résumé 0

Colombia has stood out for a century due to its call for a liberal model. The appeal of this model derives above all from the possibility of ensuring stability in a geographically and politically fragmented society. The two traditional parties formed in the nineteenth century took the lead in preserving a minimum level of cohesion in society. But their contribution to the viability of the liberal model goes beyond this, preventing the overwhelming concentration of power in the hands of the state and guaranteeing the support of the majority of the working and middle classes. However, the flipside has been the persistence of instances of violence, some related to partisan division, others to a lack of national integration and political citizenship. Order and violence have often gone hand in hand. These are the topics explored in this article. Reviewing a century of Colombian history, the author proposes both a thematic and chronological reading of these phenomena.