COLOMBIA
1914-1930
BY: Laura Elorza, Sofía Londoño, María José Arias, Carolina Merkt.
Political situation
A word that could describe the political situation during this period of
time is “stagnant”
By 1919, a socialist party was established in Bogota, and this became a
big disturbance for the conservatives.
Between 1910 and 1930 the period of the conservative hegemony took its
role. This period consisted in the ruling of several conservative presidents
and several presidential periods leaded by conservative party.
Political relations with the U.S got weaker due to the loss of Panama
and the influence that this nation had in the separation of this territory from
Colombia. This generated that Colombia wasn’t a dependent country on the U.S
On the other hand, knowing about the social situation of protests and
revolts that was going on, there were certain laws that restricted the right to
protest between 1919 and 1920. The government answered to these revolts with no
other action than recurring to violence and for this reason the conservative
party was recognized as a violent government.
Due to this social revolts there was some movement called the political
seism, by which many or all of the countries of Latin America changed their
ruler. By 1930, Miguel Abadía Mendes was democratically elected.
DUE TO THE
ECONOMIC (FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL CRISIS), PRESIDENT MARCO FIDEL QUITTED
Effects of WWI
In the context of Colombia and to explain the effects of WWI briefly,
the changes this brought to Colombia and directly in some way Latin America
were the following:
·
Higher demand in the production and distribution of goods and services.
·
Socialist party
·
Social unconformity from the people against the government and the
conditions in all aspects proposed by the government. With this social
unconformities came the desperate actions of the government, but along with
this the flourishing and distinction (in a good or bad way) of the army
The prices in Latin America went lower and the exportations reduced a
50% this would affect the economy but Latin America made a really smart
decision, the expansion and growth of the internal economy in the country this
started to produce what before the war was imported from United States and
Europe.
The countries also tried to modernized and the state had to change the
infrastructure arrange the economy, taxes and banks.
The internal economy grow especially because of the coffee production
(main economic activity of the country)
Economic situation
By 1922, the Colombian Congress authorized a law which promoted the
creation of a national bank in order to give a solution to the monetary
situation.
By 1923, President Pedro Nel Ospina prepared a panel of experts to
evaluate the economic reality of the country (Kemmerer mission)
During this period of time in general, economy gets to grow because
external commerce is paralyzed and this demands Colombia to produce more, sell
more and therefore, increase its level of industrialization. WWI had positive effects, not only in
Colombia but, also in Latin America due to the high demand of production.
As well, knowing how stagnant the economy was during the years of 1905,
it was able to increase its fluency between 1912 and 1919, where the selling of
products such as coffee doubled and even tripled. This continuous growth lasted
till 1930. All of these events gave Colombia the capability to grow as well
regarding its importing characteristics.
This is shown as a general idea, but in 1929 an economic crisis arrived.
It’s called “la gran depression” which consisted in the excessive production of
coffee all around the world; this brought as an effect a lot of external
competence and higher taxes on exportations, which increased the prices of
coffee and therefore, spellings decreased dramatically and directly the incomes
for coffee producers.
The U.S granted an indemnisation to Colombia of 25 million dollars.
: The economic integration of
the Latin American countries introduced an increase of the exportation of
agricultural products; this would cause social economic changes in the society
of Antioquia.
Till now in all Latin America
as well as in Antioquia economy was driven by the high class, Antioquia
basically exported gold and tobacco.
In the final stages of the 19th
century with the expansion of the coffee exportation that passed from 7 % to
50%, the society and economy of Antioquia suffered severe changes. To increase
the coffee production new plantations were needed. This caused a large land
expansion where the government wanted the big industries to cultivate the
coffee but the small and middle class farms prevailed over the bigger ones.
This was a local success because none other country in Latin America
was able to produce with small and middle size farms.
This generated in Antioquia that the poor and middle class society
became predominant and had an important role in the economy of Antioquia.
With all this money exceeds, the society of Antioquia invested in
industry, specially textiles and fabrics.
This process of economic growth based on the investment of exceeds
of coffee production in the industry, entered in crisis in 1914th.
The word economy suffered a
major change when it passed from the hands of England to those of the United
States. England exported to Latin America machinery and imported agricultural
products. The United States produced agricultural products in excess so we did
not import these products from Latin America.
This generated a big downfall in the agricultural product
exportation from Latin America.
THERE WAS A
TERRIBLE COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL CRISIS FROM 1920 TO 1921.
Social situation
Population between 1918 to 1928 population grew from 5.855 to 7.212
habitants. A lot of things started to change, but something that is still kept
as a remarkable event in the Colombian history is the Massacre de las
Bananeras, which took place by 1928. The reason why this gets to be such an
incredible event is because it involved the actions of the armed forces against
the Protestants which were involved in protests looking for better working
conditions.
This period of time imposed a challenge on modernization, not only
economically or politically. Colombia society started to develop as well art
and literature, which in Colombia were a key factor to develop the Colombia
culture. Through art and literature society showed the change and the
independence from European cultures.
As people started to take a lot of consciousness about indigenous
peoples, literature also talked about these facts.
Colombia suffered a period of time which passed all over Latin America,
called the reformism. It emerged in COLOBMIA due in the sector of the Bananeras.
This period didn’t only consist in protests, but as well it involved hard
conflicts and extreme clashes between people and the army.
Presidents during this period of time
Marco
Fidel Suárez (1918-1921)
He enforced the system of communication of the country: the
transportation of the “ferroviario” and”fluvial”, established the commerce
through airplanes, he put the “telegraph inalambrico” for the main cities of
the country. He didn’t end his presidential time because of a discussion in the
parliament.
Jorge Holguín (1921-1922)
He became a general after participation on the civil wars. During this
time the commitment of Thompson-Urrutia was approved that stated the loss of
Panama and that the United States had to pay 25 million dollars
Pedro Nel Ospina (1858-1927) (1922-1926)
During his ruling time he brought the professor Edwin Kemmerer,
specialist on finances so that he organized the back of the republic; he built
“ferrocarriles”, the “oleoducto” between Barrancabermeja and Cartagena, and
made progress on the education and medical sector.
Miguel Abadía Méndez (1867-1947)
(1926-1930)
During his ruling time he had to face the movement of the workers, the
rising of different indigenes in la Guajira. After overcoming this country
riches stability and order, which brought a lot of foreign investors. Tension
was created between petrol companies of United States.
Kemmerer misión
Lasted
from 1922 to 1926 and was directed by Pedro Nel Ospina. Due to the recent
economic crisis, the congress decided to approve a law by which the government
was granted with the possibility to equip a mission with foreign specialists in
order to be able to create a new administrative structure. As well this law led
to the creation to the National Bank.
In the
will to accomplish this mission, President Pedro Nel Ospina named as a foreign
minister mister Enrique Olaya Herrera, in order to hire professionals to grant
the adequate development of the mission.
For this
reason he proposed Mr. Walker Kemmerer, head the mission, along with other
experts he suggested such as H. M. Jefferson, Fred Rogers
Fairchaild, Thomas Russell Lill and Frederick Bliss Luquiens. Through
the development of this mission which was taken slowly, new economic organisms
and entities flourished in Colombia, and as well, new projects and laws
regarding Banking establishments.
Danza de los millones
"La danza de los millones" was called the time were
United States gave 25 million dollars to Colombia because of the commitment
they made (commitment of Thompson-Urrutia) this gave a great economic
prosperity. The president of Colombia with this money made 14 projects to
modernize Colombia one of the main projects was the extension of the railroad
of the pacific (region were the president was born), the government gave help
to the national and foreign industries but the money was rapidly over and live
the projects undone. But the Coffee cultivation was also the main economic
activity and gave a big economic income to Colombia.
