The Assassination
The Liberal Party's candidate for the Presidency of Colombia in 1950, Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Ayala, was popular with the poor in particular. An orator of great ability, he looked set to win the election in 1949, but was denied the chance to stand due to an assassin or more likely a conspiracy. Gaitán carried the hopes of most of the country on his shoulders, but Colombia was to be robbed of its future on April 9th 1948 and earn a succession of unwanted tags.

Gaitán had spent the previous night preparing the defence of Lieutenant Jesús María Cortés Poveda until 4.00 a.m. Cortés was subsequently acquitted – Gaitán had won his last case from beyond the grave. Despite having worked hard the night before, Gaitán arrived at his office four hours later on April 9th. A young man had been observed waiting outside Gaitán's office in downtown Bogotá. He had arrived around 9.30, waiting to see the lawyer and Presidential candidate. Gaitán left his office for the last time shortly after 1.00 p.m.

He didn't get far. An assassin had been lying in wait and shot him three times, twice in the head and once in the chest, with a .32 calilbre gun around 1.15 in the afternoon. He was carried to hospital, but it was too late; Gaitán died soon afterwards. His assassination quickly enraged the people of Bogotá and beyond. His supporters called people onto the streets to protest. For the next ten hours Bogotá was ablaze. The alleged assassin Juan Roa Sierra was rapidly subjected to mob justice, but his violent death did nothing to quell the angry mood of the crowd, or solve the issues surrounding his death.

The Assassin?
It was an efficient assassination, suggesting that the murderer had expereience of firearms. That would prove controversial later, as the 'assassin' had no expereience of handling firearms and his gun had only been purchased two days earlier, but the immediate aftermath of the assassination would not be a time for reason. Anger and fury would reign and Roa would not have a chance to tell what, if anything he knew about the tragic events.

Roa may have been involved in the assassination, or just been a patsy. He was certainly a convenient scapegoat. Roa had mental problems, believing that he was the 19th century Colombian national hero, Francisco de Paula Santander y Omaña and 16th century Spanish adventurer Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. The 26 year-old was an odd-ball to put it mildly. It was not beyond the bounds of possibility that this disturbed young man could have developed a grudge against Gaitán, as the People's champion had declined his attempts to meet Roa, who was seeking a job.

It is unclear if Roa had decided to punish Gaitán for perceived slights, or if he was marginally involved in a conspiracy that he knew little to nothing about, or, as some believe, he was totally innocent. Roa never got the chance to tell his story. He chose to run away, pursued by a furious mob, thirsting to avenge the murder of their champion. Roa ran into a policeman Carlos Jímenez Díaz, pleading with him,”Don't kill me, my corporal.” Perhaps it would have been better for Roa if Jímenez had shot him on the spot, but the police officer valiantly tried to do his duty and protect him.

An Orgy of Violence
Nevertheless, according to some, in the confusion the wrong man was taken into a nearby drugstore for protection by Jímenez. Roa is alleged to have responded to the drugstore owner's query of why he did it by saying: “Powerful forces sir. Our lady of Carmen, save me.” But Roa was beyond help. The irate mob was convinced that the villain that had murdered  Gaitán was inside the store and nothing would be allowed to save him from their wrath. He had killed the hopes of the nation – their hopes – and they would make sure that he paid the ultimate price for it.

They battered the door in and seized Roa. Guilty or innocent, Roa was subjected to a horrific lynching. They viciously stabbed him and beat him to death. His naked corpse, bloodied and bruised was dumped in Bolívar Square, but his death did not satisfy them. The rampage continued and Bogotá paid a high price. It came to be known as the Bogotazo, leaving 3-5000 dead, many more injured and up 200,000 homeless as the capital city was left scarred and the flames of retribution spread to other parts of the country too. However, Colombia still had a very heavy price to pay for the assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Ayala – one it is still paying.