A 200-year history lesson on the ELN’s 52-year war with Colombia’s state

[Judi Lynn]

A 200-year history lesson on the ELN’s 52-year war with Colombia’s state
written by Adriaan Alsema November 3, 2016


The war with Colombia’s last remaining guerrilla group, the ELN, has has a history that began in the 19th century.

Violence and civil war have plagued Colombia ever since its recognized independence in 1819.

Not counting the current armed conflict, the country has had eight civil wars since its liberation from Spain.


Political division between liberals and conservatives

The wars were driven by a bitter political conflict between the country’s traditionally secular liberals and the Catholic Church-backed conservatives.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/200-year-history-elns-52-year-war-colombia-state/

[Bacchus4.0]

1. ELN terrorism brought to you by Cuba

The rise of the ELN

The ELN was strongly influenced by the Cuban Revolution, like many other Latin American guerrilla movements. In fact, the original leaders of the ELN were trained in Cuba, which had been taken over by Communist dictator Fidel Castro only a few years earlier.

Numerous Colombians received scholarships to study in Cuba, but when they left during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, 22 stayed behind to participate in military training to defend against a possible invasion.

Of these, Victor Medina Moron, Fabio Vasquez Castano, Heriberto Espitia, Ricardo Lara Parada, Luis Rovira, Mario Hernandez and Jose Merchan would go on to found the ELN.

The ELN quietly began preparing their military activity in the central Colombian Santander province on July 4, 1964.

Six months later, on January 7, 1965, they carried out their first attack on the village of Simacota, Santander.