Colombia: 60 years since the murder of Jorge Eliecer Gaitan
April 9, 2008
60 years passed since the day of tragic death of Gaitan, but till now a lot of circumstances of that act of terrorism remain unclear. According to all forecasts it was Gaitan, who had to win the presidential elections of 1949. This perspective by no means satisfied the ruling right-conservative elite, Colombian oligarch circles. The chance that a powerful and independent leader could come to power did not suit the United States either. The ambassador John C. Wiley in one his dispatches to the State department frankly wrote: «Gaitan will try to pluck our eagle»...
According to the CIA authorities, Gaitan as a president, in the conditions of the flaring up «cold war», could create a dangerous situation for national interests of the USA in the Western hemisphere. Reports from Bogota that were coming to the CIA in January — March of 1948, on the eve of the 9th Pan-American conference, urged Washington to resort to radical decisions.
As if following the instructions, the western press started to write about plans of Moscow to frustrate the Conference of American states. The main unmasking point was simplified to the limit: «The Soviets plan to use their «fifth column» on the continent (that is communist and Slavonic organisations) to establish control over Latin America». Professionals of «black propaganda» drew an analogy between the policy of the Soviet Union and the Third reich: The Kremlin plans to use Latin America as a springboard for attack on the United States.
Presence of the USSR embassy in Colombia quite annoyed the recent allies of Russia in the Second world war. In the CIA dispatches Jorge Eliecer Gaitan was named among the main «connections» of the Soviet embassy. American representatives in Bogota assured that Gaitan was hiding his «communist convictions» for tactic reasons. One of the telegrams to Washington said, in particular, that through a mediator Gaitan used to get large sums of money for political and other activities. By «other activities» they, naturally, mean frustration of the Pan-American conference.
Fabrications like that were brought to the notice of the Colombian authorities in confidential meetings. The goals were apparent — to compromise Gaitan and get the Soviets expelled from Colombia.
Murderer-«pistolero» waited for Gaitan at the entrance to the building, where his firm of attorneys was situated. Along with a group of friends Gaitan was going to his favourite French restaurant to celebrate another successful defence. But the did not manage to go far. At 13.05 some shots were heard.
Juan Roa Sierra — that was the name of the murderer tried to escape from the scene of crime, but was captured by the police, who managed to disarmed him. Menacing cries came out from the enraged crowd. To protect the «pistolero» from reprisal the policemen pushed him inside a drugstore named «Granada» planning to wait for arrival of reinforcement. Thirsty for revenge the supporters of Gaitan started to shake the shop grating. It was at that moment when one of those present in the drugstore asked the murderer a question: «Why did you kill Doctor Gaitan?» He replied in a weak, choking voice: «Following the order from above»...
Soon the outraged crowd stormed in the drugstore, dragged the murderer outside and blows from all directions were brought down on him. After several minutes his disfigured body was dragged to the presidential palace. Many of Gaitan supporters were convinced that the order of murder was given from there...
Despite the numerous books and articles written about the events of April 9, the personality of Roa Sierra still arouses questions. «Imperceptible little man», «miserable», «declassed, mentally ill element», «featureless individual», - these disdainful characteristics as though were warning: the person alone is not worth of attention. But it was more important to find out: who in particular put a gum in his hand and designated the target? Bourgeois Colombian press had a ready made answer: of course, communists. They say, they were trying their best to frustrate the conference!
Some publications contained vague references that young Roa Sierra in the years of the Second world war sympathised with Nazis, admired victories of Hitler. Once, not very sociable Juan, got acquainted with a «real German» - Umland Gerat, professional palmist. The German displayed special attention to him and soon got convinced that Roa Sierra could be easily suggested: one «trial session» was enough to convince him that he was an «embodiment» of Jimenez de Quesada, founder of Bogota.
Mother of Roa Sierra, worried by obscure influence of Gerat to her son, visited the German, who produced a favourable impression on her. «Gerat won't teach him bad things», was her conclusion. Although during the meeting Roa Sierra was narrating more than asking. At odd moments she mentioned that her son visited the office of Gaitan trying with his help to get a decent job.
Last time Roa Sierra met Gerat on April 7, that is 2 days prior to murder, and, according to the German, he told him about his dream, in which he saw villages with Indian graves that kept uncountable treasures. Roa Sierra decided to start for search of these villages, having rejected the advice to take companions with him not to risk his life being alone. The same day Roa Sierra procured a revolver, and on April 8 — rounds to it. If we believe Gerat about the «prophetic dream of Roa Sierra» the gun and ammunition was bought by a young Colombian for his expedition for treasures.
Then why, on April 9, Roa Sierra turned out to be near the entrance to the building, where Gaitan office was situated? What influenced radical changes of his plans? Has he really spoken to Gerat about search of treasures or was that the invention of the German just to get rid of not very professional questions of investigators?
Gerat achieved what he wanted. In the course of further investigation nobody revealed any more interest to him. The German remained in the case as a «shadow figure» with obscure biography. He came to Colombia in 1936, but for what reason, from where and with what purpose — history keeps silent. It is not known what he was doing in the period of the Second world war, especially from 1942 when all Germans in the countries of Latin America were taken under control by the Hoover intelligence (predecessor of the CIA on the continent). At that time at the slightest suspicion the Germans were «blacklisted», deported as a preventive means to remote areas. It was described in his novel «Los Elegidos» by a famous Colombian politician and literary man Alfonso Lopez Michelsen.
It is sensible to assume that Gerat escaped such a destiny thanks to the help he rendered to the «Hoover people» in revealing hidden nazis among his compatriots. If it is true, Gerat should be treated in a completely different light: not like an «accessary witness», but as an active member of conspiracy against Gaitan. Gerat has chosen a person that can be easily controlled and can be used for murdering and handed it over to direct members of the conspiracy. According to the information that possess Gloria, daughter of Gaitan (born in 1938), the operation on elimination of her father was developed by the CIA and had a code name «Pantomime».
After the murder of Gaitan Bogota was overflown with bloody events. By the morning of April 12 it became clear that the blame for murdering Gaitan the powers put on communists: it is them, who provoked massive disorders to make use of overall chaos to «speed up revolutionary process in the country». The conservative press stated that the Soviets «manipulated» the communist party, direct it to seize the power in the country. In the Soviet embassy they understood: it is necessary to prepare for breaking the diplomatic relations. And so it happened. In the beginning of May the government of Colombia declared about «suspension of relations with the USSR».
The stir about communists and the Soviet embassy permitted to move to the shade the real reasons for «elimination» of Gaitan. Influential political forces of Colombia were obviously not interested in revelation of the truth. Some American participants of events on Bogota left this world under suspicious circumstances, and their archives, that could pour light to the mystery of murder of Gaitan, have disappeared.
The outstanding Colombian politician, foreteller of the modern «populism» Jorge Eliecer Gaitan is buried in the garden of his house in Bogota. The house is turned into a Museum and among its visitors there are not only revolutionaries and people of left convictions. Many people understand that the terrible whirligig of repressions, bloody reprisals, peoples resistance and actually the home war in Colombia started exactly then — on April 9, 1948. Violence gave birth to violence, and it is difficult to predict when the end will be put to it. May it be when the whole truth about those, who directed bullets from the revolver of Roa Sierra to the back of Gaitan, will be established?
Olga Lopez, Caracas