The Rise of Gaitanismo in Colombia. Itinerary of an Electoral Triumph in the Department of Santander, 1944-1948

This article looks into the rise of Gaitanismo in the Department of Santander, between 1944 and 1948. For the presidential elections held in 1946, the Liberal Party had two candidates: Gabriel Turbay and Jorge Eliecer Gaitan. The former got one of the highest polls in the region, much higher than that of the latter. Nonetheless, only a year later, in 1947, Gaitan managed to obtain the Senate and Chamber majorities, as well as those from the regional power in Santander and all over the country. The fast climb of Gaitanismo is examined based on Vanguardia Liberal, a local newspaper from the city of Bucaramanga and the main paper of Liberals in Santander, which would go from attacking Gaitan to supporting him, amid polarization, confrontation and a nationwide violent context that went out of control after the charismatic leader's murder in 1948.