A Sangre y Fuego: La Violencia En Antioquia, Colombia, 1946-1953

by Mary Roldán

PREMIO ALEJANDRO ÁNGEL ESCOBAR - CIENCIAS SOCIALES 2003. Una visión diferente de la “primera” violencia colombiana . Superando las explicaciones partidistas, la autora analiza muy a fondo los intereses económicos que le dieron origen y que hoy subsisten..Mediante un análisis de la evolución de la violencia en Antioquia, que en esa época era la región más rica y diversa (en términos económicos) de nuestro país, Mary Roldán demuestra la manera como se combinaron las tensiones entre la política regional y el débil Estado central, para convertir a la violencia en un modo predilecto de hacer política. Un libro fundamental para entender el presente.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

435 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Kieran Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've long been fascinated by the period of La Violencia. However, it's virtually unknown outside Colombia. Aside from the fact that most people outside Colombia only pay attention to the history of the country if it involves a certain paisa, part of this can be explained by the same thing that makes the conflict interesting- its complexity. It seems every historian or sociologist has a different opinion on what caused the conflict. Was it a failed social revolution? An example of dangerous partisanship? An excuse for widespread land seizures? You'll hear all of these theories. The issue is complicated by the regional variety in violence. Why did some areas remain so peaceful and we did others see such different forms of violence?

This book addressed Antioquia, a region whose role in the conflict was largely unknown to me. I greatly appreciated the breakdown of the different areas of the department, as well as how they interacted with other parts of the country. I also liked the parallels drawn with later violence in the more recent conflict.

The big gap in my knowledge of La Violencia is the fighting in los llanos, and I must read something about that soon.