The War of a Thousand Days: Colombia's Bloody Civil War

Luis Carlos Galán and the Assassination That Changed Colombia

In August 1989, Colombian presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán was gunned down at a campaign rally in Soacha, a suburb of Bogotá. The assassination, ordered by Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel, marked a turning point in Colombia's war on drugs. Galán, a charismatic Liberal Party reformer, had promised to extradite drug traffickers to the United States. His murder galvanized the government of Virgilio Barco to launch an unprecedented crackdown, including the creation of the Search Bloc and the reinvigoration of the extradition treaty. This episode explores Galán's life, his campaign against the cartels, the ruthless execution of the hit, and the bloody aftermath that included car bombs, assassinations of judges and journalists, and the eventual death of Escobar in 1993. We also discuss how Galán's legacy endures in Colombia's struggle for justice and stability. #LuisCarlosGalán #PabloEscobar #MedellínCartel #Colombia #DrugWar #Extradition #Assassination #1989 #Soacha #VirgilioBarco #SearchBloc #LiberalParty #ColombianHistory #CartelViolence #Bogotá #TrueCrime #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

1832 War of the Supremos: Colombia's First Civil War

After Gran Colombia dissolved in 1831, the Republic of New Granada struggled to hold together. This episode follows the 1832–1842 War of the Supremos — a series of regional revolts led by local caudillos, or 'supremos,' who defied the central government in Bogotá. We focus on the uprising of José María Obando in Pasto, his alliance with the priest leaders of the southern provinces, and the ruthless response of President José Ignacio de Márquez and his military commander, Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera. We explore the war's roots in federalist versus centralist tensions, the role of the Catholic Church, and how the conflict set a pattern of civil strife that would define Colombia for generations. Key events include the Battle of La Ladera, the siege of Popayán, and the execution of Obando. This episode also touches on the involvement of indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities caught in the crossfire, and the legacy of the war in shaping Colombia's regional identities. #WarOfTheSupremos #JoséMaríaObando #TomásCiprianoDeMosquera #JoséIgnacioDeMárquez #NewGranada #ColombianHistory #Caudillos #FederalismVsCentralism #Pasto #Popayán #BattleOfLaLadera #CatholicChurch #19thCentury #SouthAmerica #History #FexingoHistory #CivilWar #Colombia Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The 1819 Boyacá Bridge: Bolívar's Daring Gambit

This episode of The History of Colombia: Conflict, Cartels, and Change takes you to the sweltering August day in 1819 when Simón Bolívar's ragtag army crossed the flooded Andes and crushed the Spanish at the Battle of Boyacá. We follow the legendary paso de los Andes, the strategic genius of Francisco de Paula Santander, and the decisive charge by the British Legion and llanero cavalry. Hear how a bridge over the Teatinos River became the birthplace of Gran Colombia, the psychological impact of the victory on the independence movement, and the controversial absence of Bolívar's rival Manuel del Castillo. This is the battle that ended Spanish rule in New Granada—told through the eyes of the soldiers who marched from the llanos to the bridge. We also explore the myth and reality of Bolívar's leadership, the role of the Venezuelan exiles, and why Boyacá remains Colombia's most sacred national holiday. #BattleOfBoyacá #SimónBolívar #FranciscoDePaulaSantander #PasoDeLosAndes #GranColombia #Independence #BritishLegion #Llaneros #1819 #NewGranada #SpanishColonial #TeatinosRiver #Venezuela #Colombia #MilitaryHistory #History #FexingoHistory #SouthAmerica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

José Antonio Galán: The Peasant Revolt That Shook Colonial Colombia

In 1781, a shoemaker named José Antonio Galán led thousands of peasants, indigenous people, and slaves in the Comunero Revolt against Spanish colonial rule. This episode traces the revolt from its origins in high taxes and Bourbon reforms to the dramatic march on Bogotá, the betrayal of the comuneros' leaders, and Galán's brutal execution. We explore how the revolt exposed the deep fractures in New Granada's society—between creoles and peninsulares, highlands and lowlands—and how it became a precursor to the independence wars that would follow decades later. Key figures include Juan Francisco Gutiérrez de Piñeres, Archbishop Antonio Caballero y Góngora, and the mestiza leader Manuela Beltrán, who tore down the hated tax edict. The episode also examines the legacy of Galán, whose name became a rallying cry for later revolutionaries. #JoséAntonioGalán #ComuneroRevolt #NewGranada #ColombiaHistory #SpanishColonial #ManuelaBeltrán #BourbonReforms #Independence #Socorro #Bogotá #1781 #PeasantRevolt #ColonialResistance #FexingoHistory #SouthAmerica #History #Colombia #Revolt Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Francisco de Paula Santander: The Man Who Built Colombia

While Simón Bolívar gets the glory, Colombia's foundations were laid by Francisco de Paula Santander—a meticulous, bookish administrator who organized the new republic, wrote its first laws, and faced down Bolívar's authoritarian turn. This episode traces Santander's rise from a young officer in the revolutionary armies to his exile, his return as president, and his lasting influence on Colombian institutions. We explore the rivalry with Bolívar, the 'Santander vs. Bolívar' ideological divide that still echoes today, and how his emphasis on legal order over personal rule shaped Colombia's political culture. From the Battle of Boyacá to the Ocaña Convention, from the 'Laws of the Year 1821' to his final years in Bogotá, we uncover the man behind the myth—the 'Man of Laws' who believed a nation must be built on paper, not just swords. #FranciscoDePaulaSantander #SimónBolívar #GranColombia #ColombianIndependence #BattleOfBoyacá #OcañaConvention #ManOfLaws #HistoryOfColombia #ColombianPolitics #19thCentury #SouthAmerica #FexingoHistory #Colombia #Bogotá #Cúcuta #Venezuela #Ecuador #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]