MARCH ELECTIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500730006-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 4, 2003
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: November 11, 1998
• Content Type: IR

CENTRAL IN 'ELUGENCE GROUP
{.i INT ELLIGENCE F EPOR1
COUNTRY : Colo!nbi a
,iU(3si":Ol' March lections'
STATfJ WAR
NA;'Y JUSTICE
ti
CONFIDENTIAL
DI ST. 27 April 1?147
PAGES 5
i
1, Electoral Laws andlRegulations:
A telegraphic circular was sent to Governors, Intendants, Commissioners and
Mayors on January'.18 by the Minister of the Tntarior, Dr. Roberto Urdaneta
Arbelaoz, requesting compliance with the Electoral Law of 1946 which requires
daily reports froinLoea1 electoral juries and from inspectors of registration.
Irregularities repo,ed would be corrected by duly constituted authori.tics.
(Bogota in Spania1,--I o Colombia, Jan. 18, 19k,?).
On the eve of political rallies in Medellin and other cities of the Department
of Antioquia Govern r Dr. Jose Maria Bernal prohibit ed indefinitely political
meetings of all tyP a. (Medellin in Spanish to Colombians Abroad, Jane 25,194.7).
President Ospina Perez' preelection proclamation of March B .ddressed to
Governors, interda4s, and Commissioners appeals for orderly elections and
specifies that they, "Armed Forces, in cooperation with the police, will
guarantee free balloting and a respect for the decisions of the citizens-.,
(Bogota in Spanish'ilo Colombia, March 8, 1947).
The Minister of Wart announced on March 12 that soldiers rsould be stationed
throughout the nation to keep peace during the elections, and that ?"military
:reinforcements;' had!been sent to towns where pot:Laical distrubance, "may
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be expected." (Bogota in Spanish to ;VIorth and South America, ;..arch 1.2, 1947),
Further regulations for election day banned political SatherinV;s near the
polling places, all spoken or written propaganda, the carrying of firearms
or other weapons, and the sale of alcoholic drinks. ';omen and children would
not be allowed near the polling places. (Bogota in Spanish to South America,
Larch 12, 1947).
Commissions of "Conciliation and Guarantee" were set up by decree on Larch 12
in the capitals of each province to protect citizens exercising their :.'fight
of franchise? The Conservatives, the Liberals, and the liberal Marty of the
People were requested to d,:-siFne.te representatives to these three-man comm-
issions. (Bogota in Spanish to Colombia, ;.:arch 12, 1947).
Party ??rinciples and 'Jain Issues:
The CoriservaLive Farty: Dr. Laureano iomez, leader of the party, returned
from an extensive speaking tour of the country on January 1.5 and led what
apparently was an active campaign. No political speeches were monitored,
however. Disunity of the Liberal Party was one of the main themes: of the
Conservative press.
The Administration: President Ospina Perez, member of the Conservative Party,
repeatedly stressed that the GovCrnment would L:aintain complete neutrality
in the campaign; that it was "indifferent" to the final results of, the contest,
in keeping with the inalterable policy of national unity.
The Liberal Party: Dr. i;duardo Santos, leader of the party, together with
Dr. Dario Lahanaia, launched the campaign early in January. In. a keynote
address Santos pointed out that "the only danger to the Liberal Party is
not the Conservative Party, bu( the disunity" of the Liberals. Throughout
the follc-~:ing car.:paign period Santistas made conciliatory overtures to the
Gaitanist faction.
The Liberal Party_of the People: A 52-point program drawn up at the reitanist
3.ibcral Convention included the following principles! !.,omen must be allowed
to vote and hold office, democracy must be upheld, popular elections must be
field for Departmental Governors and certain cla4ses of mayors, the immigration
of technicians must be organized, the land. laws must be changed, health and
sanitation mea urns must be provided, and diplor?aLic careers must be
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established.
In the international field the program approved the Good Neighbor policy
and proclaimed the necessity of ,:.aintaining Good relations v,ith the United
States of Aoacrica.
(Postelection press dispatches reveal another Gaitanist policy; collaboration
with thelpresent Government).
(Bogota in Spanish ?:orse to the Americas, Jan. 21, 19147).
Government Dismissals: Liberals of both factions were united in
opposing tho replacement of Liberal public service personnel ~iith
Conservatives at the beginni:r of the year.
that the unanimous disapproval of ;;arty leaders and the combined
Liberal press v,oulc 1-ad to a reco_?:c .iiaticn. 25X1X
_lacLion ;results: Official results anncunced by the United Pre:;s on
Larch 27 are: Liberals, 789,256, of v.hom 442,480 were for the Gaitanist
candidates and 346,776 for Lhe official pasty; Cons urv4,civcs, 641,155.
Postelection Developments:
Pending the announcement on :::arch 23 of official election returns, victory
was conceded to the Liberals with a majority of the vote of the Gaitanist
faction of the party. The distribution of seats in the Senate and Chamber
was estimated: Senate - Liberals, 35, Conservatives, 28; Chamber - Liberals,
74, Conservatives, 57. (Bogota in Spanish to North and South America,
March 20, 1947).
Political Clashes: Despite a broadcast of arch 16 which stated that
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'-sinister of the Interior Roberto Prd:.neta hrbciaez had announced at the
close of the voting; that elections had taken place "in perfect order,"
(LRS, Buenos Aires in Spanish to Argentina, "arch 16, 1947) press reports
of violence were quoted on the radio on :arch 17., :~L TI^ TO --- owned by
Santos--- stated tint there were 1.50 injured and 11 dead as the result of
incidents in 'various regions of Colombia.cc (t.ontevideo in Spanish to
Uruguay, .each 17, 1947).
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other press accounts of violence located the areas its the Department of
Narino in Pasto, La Union, and Ipialcs. Families reportedly were fleeing
across the :;cuadoran border. (nor ota in Spc-nish to Latin America, !-'arch
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17, 1947). (Nothing further to substantiate these reports was monitored).
A dispatch from Cali on ::arch 24 reported the "heavy stoning" of the
Conservative newspaper DI.AR10 UUs:L Pi:CIFICO, which journal had been belittled
in a report of the Liberal Governor of the Department of Valle. (Associated
Press, !.;arch 24, 1947).
The ;.;onto=video newspaper EL PAIS praised the orderly Colombian elections
and stated that the "signs of normalcy" were "broken only occasionally by
some individual excesses or irregularities." (Buenos Aires in Spanish
gorse to Latin America, March 31, 1947)5
Ministerial Crisis: In order to leave President Ospina free to reorganize
the f overn:::ent in accordance .~.ith the election results, thefollov.in six
L:inisters resigned from the Cabinet on Larch 25: Carlos Lozano, Foreir;n
Affairs; Carlos Sanz de Santamaria, '::ar; Robert ,:wrulan(.a, lconomy;
Alas Hurvera Anzoategui, Labor; Tulio .;nricue falcon, '.fines; Jorge t?eiarano,
Health. (Bogota in Spanish :;'orse to Latin A.-,erica, i:'arch 25, 1947). Humors
that the rua.ainin6 six meu:ners, who represent the Conservative Party in
the Cabinet, would resign for the same reason continue to be deni,:c: in press
dispatches.
The Gaitanist publication JORNA:)A considered the Move "logical," since the
Liberal ;:inisters "have not only been up in the air r,itho~ t anything firm
to stand on, but they know the clear desire of their party in regard to
their pres..nce in the Cabinet." (Bogota in Spanish Lorne to Latin America,
March 26, 1947). At the same time, Gaitan was reported to be maini.e:ininL; a
firm stnd on his noncollaboration policy toward the Ospin Government.
Vattcrs were at a standstill until after the Easter holidays, but LA MM;.ZON
reported that Liberal :.'inisters were prepared to break a,ith the government
if the Liberal majority is not recognized. (Bogota in Spanish Eorse to south
America, Larch 25, 1947). in announcing his departure: for Lurope tow; rd the
end of Ar.ril, former President Santos denied that he planned to live abroad
and stated that he woi:ld return in from four to six months JOR ADA quoted
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"authoritative eourees" that ;pantos resifn as vice rresident and from
the leadership of the Liberal. Party, thus relirquizhind his power in the
parliar:nentr>ry r.:_-,jority just voted into office. (;,P, ;'arch 21i, 1947).
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latost reports are that t'polit'lcal circles believe that President Ospina
Forez+s cabinet will be rcorf;r_nized this week. The ::inisters' rosii;nation
has boon pending since before Holy .;eek. .;duardo Zuleta Angel, v.ho
represented Colombia in the U1110, ca,i.e to Bogota with an appointment as
Jinister of -.ducation, but he iv-9 never Laken possession of the poet bee Lee
of the rusi ;nr?.tion.
Among the guesses hazarded ic,; the :Japers as to the likely constitution of the
new cabinet, ue find the supposition that ;uleta Angel will be na:aed Foreign
Sinister and that Chancellor Carlos Lozano y Lozano will become :,;inister of
Education. Authoritative parsons say that nothing aefinite can be forec:.st on
the new cabinet, but they believe that most of the present :inisters will
be renamed." (Bo,;ota in Spanish i'orso to South America, April 8, 1947).
This document contain information
affecting; the national defense of the
T.'nited States U thin the cteaning of
the :espionage :;ct, 70 11. S. C. '1 and
32, as amended. Its transmission or
the revelation of its contents in any
manner to an unauthorized person is
prohibited by law.
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