COLOMBIA 1914-1930-SOCIAL STUDIES

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 19^th 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 1914^th.

 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. ​