Mariano Ospina Pérez

president of Colombia

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 1, 2026

Quick Summary

Mariano Ospina Pérez served as the president of Colombia from 1946 to 1950. His presidency marked the beginning of "La Violencia," a period of intense political conflict between the Liberal and Conservative parties. This era was characterized by violent reprisals and widespread bloodshed, with an estimated 200,000 lives lost between 1946 and 1964. The assassination of Liberal leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán in 1948 triggered a major riot in Bogotá known as the bogotazo, further escalating the violence. Ospina Pérez's term also saw the rise of guerrilla groups and paramilitary organizations, contributing to the instability of the country.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Colombia
La Violencia, dictatorship, and democratic restoration
A Conservative, Mariano Ospina Pérez, took office. Conservatives had been embittered by political sidelining and, since 1930, had suffered violent attacks at the hands of Liberal supporters. With the electoral victory of 1946 they instituted a series of crude reprisals against Liberals. It was the initiation of…
Read More
A Conservative, Mariano Ospina Pérez, took office. Conservatives had been embittered by political sidelining and, since 1930, had suffered violent attacks at the hands of Liberal supporters. With the electoral victory of 1946 they instituted a series of crude reprisals against Liberals. It was the initiation of…
Read More