Jorge Eliecer Gaitan

Gaitán ran for president in 1946 as the candidate of the Liberal Party, but lost due to a split in the Liberal vote. His populist platform appealed to the urban poor and rural workers, making him a powerful political force.

Gaitán became the sole leader of the Liberal Party in 1947, uniting its factions. He advocated for land reform, labor rights, and social justice, gaining massive popular support and threatening the conservative establishment.

Gaitán was assassinated on April 9, 1948, in Bogotá. His death sparked the Bogotazo, a massive riot and uprising that destroyed parts of the city and led to the period of La Violencia, a decade-long civil war in Colombia.