Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa
Encyclopedia
Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa (born in 1956 in Manizales
, Caldas
, died in Bogotá
, Cundinamarca
on March 22, 1990) was a Colombian
politician
member of the Colombian Communist Party
. Jaramillo started working primarily in the Urabá Antioquia region
until 1986 when he assumed the presidency of the Patriotic Union Party
(UP) after the assassination of Jaime Pardo
.
he took the chair of the UP.
He tried to give greater breadth to the UP, accused by its critics of being political arm of the FARC. Jaramillo Ossa made efforts to link the movement with the Socialist International
, which earned him the nickname "perestroika
". Jaramillo intended to separate the suspected relationship between his party and the FARC by approaching the Socialist International. Jaramillo then ran for the presidency
of Colombia. He was planning an alliance with Carlos Pizarro Leongómez
, demobilized leader of the 19th of April Movement
(M-19) and also a candidate for the Presidency.
on March 22, 1990. Jaramillo was heading with his wife Mariela Barragan and several bodyguards of the DAS
to Airlift Terminal Bogotá, despite having received death threats. He refused to wear a protective vest. Once he was in the terminal, he waited for his flight to Santa Marta, where he would take vacations. A young paramilitary named Andres Arturo Gutierrez Maya waited for him while he and his wife were in front of a pharmacy
, then pulled out a Mini Ingram
380 machine gun and fired on the candidate. A guard pushed the wife to avoid impacts received while other guards chased after the murderer. Jaramillo was wounded in the arms of his wife and uttered three sentences:
After being taken to the car he lost consciousness and was taken to the clinic Cajanal (National Provident Fund). Before being taken to the operating room, he died after a delay in the elevator at the clinic.
After his assassination other members in or related to his party were killed also.
, the chief of the AUC
(paramilitary forces) .
Manizales
Manizales is a city and municipality in central Colombia, capital of Department of Caldas and part of the region of Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis, near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano....
, Caldas
Caldas Department
Caldas is a department of Colombia named after Colombian patriotic figure Francisco José de Caldas. It's part of the Paisa Region and its capital is Manizales. The population of Caldas is 1,030,062, and its area is 7,291 km²...
, died in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Cundinamarca
Cundinamarca Department
- Origin of the name :The name of Cundinamarca comes from Kundur marqa, an indigenous expression, probably derived from Quechua. Meaning "Condor's Nest", it was used in pre-Columbian times by the natives of the Magdalena Valley to refer to the nearby highlands....
on March 22, 1990) was a Colombian
Colombian people
Colombian people are from a multiethnic Spanish speaking nation in South America called Colombia. Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and are a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians.-Demography:...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
member of the Colombian Communist Party
Colombian Communist Party
The Colombian Communist Party or PCC is the legal communist party of Colombia. It was founded in 1930, as the Colombian section of the Comintern...
. Jaramillo started working primarily in the Urabá Antioquia region
Urabá Antioquia
Urabá Antioquia is a subregion in the Colombian Department of Antioquia. The region is made up by 24 municipalities. Most of this region northern portion is part of the Colombian Caribbean Region bordering the Caribbean sea.-Municipalities:* Apartadó...
until 1986 when he assumed the presidency of the Patriotic Union Party
Patriotic Union (Colombia)
The Patriotic Union or UP , was a leftist Colombian political party founded by the FARC and the Colombian Communist Party in 1985, as part of the peace negotiations that the guerrillas held with the Conservative Belisario Betancur administration...
(UP) after the assassination of Jaime Pardo
Jaime Pardo Leal
Jaime Pardo Leal was the candidate of the Patriotic Union for the presidency of Colombia in the 1986 elections.Members of the Patriotic Union became the target of multiple death threats and assassination attempts...
.
Youth
Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa was born into a poor family in Manizales. Not much is known of his early life, but in his youth he understood the problems of poverty that many people living around them and later graduated with degrees in law and political science.In the Patriotic Union
Jaramillo joined the UP once it was founded in 1985 and later in the 1988 election won the seat of Senator of the Republic. Following the murder of Pardo LealJaime Pardo Leal
Jaime Pardo Leal was the candidate of the Patriotic Union for the presidency of Colombia in the 1986 elections.Members of the Patriotic Union became the target of multiple death threats and assassination attempts...
he took the chair of the UP.
He tried to give greater breadth to the UP, accused by its critics of being political arm of the FARC. Jaramillo Ossa made efforts to link the movement with the Socialist International
Socialist International
The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :...
, which earned him the nickname "perestroika
Perestroika
Perestroika was a political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during 1980s, widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev...
". Jaramillo intended to separate the suspected relationship between his party and the FARC by approaching the Socialist International. Jaramillo then ran for the presidency
President of Colombia
The President of Colombia is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Colombia. The office of president was established upon the ratification of the Constitution of 1819, by the Congress of Angostura, convened in December 1819, when Colombia was part of "la Gran Colombia"...
of Colombia. He was planning an alliance with Carlos Pizarro Leongómez
Carlos Pizarro Leongómez
Carlos Pizarro Leongómez was the fourth commander of the Colombian guerrilla group 19th of April Movement . Pizarro later ran for president of Colombia after the demobilization of M-19 that transformed the group into the political party, M-19 Democratic Alliance...
, demobilized leader of the 19th of April Movement
19th of April Movement
The 19th of April Movement or M-19, was a Colombian guerrilla movement. After its demobilization it became a political party, the M-19 Democratic Alliance , or AD/M-19.The M-19 traced its origins to the allegedly fraudulent presidential elections of 19 April 1970...
(M-19) and also a candidate for the Presidency.
Death
He was murdered while campaigning in BogotáBogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
on March 22, 1990. Jaramillo was heading with his wife Mariela Barragan and several bodyguards of the DAS
Das
Das or DAS may refer to:* Das , a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon* Das , an Emirati island in the Persian Gulf* Das , a common surname or title in the Indian Subcontinent...
to Airlift Terminal Bogotá, despite having received death threats. He refused to wear a protective vest. Once he was in the terminal, he waited for his flight to Santa Marta, where he would take vacations. A young paramilitary named Andres Arturo Gutierrez Maya waited for him while he and his wife were in front of a pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
, then pulled out a Mini Ingram
MAC-11
The Ingram MAC-11 is a machine pistol developed by American gun designer Gordon Ingram at the Military Armament Corporation during the 1970s...
380 machine gun and fired on the candidate. A guard pushed the wife to avoid impacts received while other guards chased after the murderer. Jaramillo was wounded in the arms of his wife and uttered three sentences:
After being taken to the car he lost consciousness and was taken to the clinic Cajanal (National Provident Fund). Before being taken to the operating room, he died after a delay in the elevator at the clinic.
After his assassination other members in or related to his party were killed also.
Investigations
On February 11, 2010 Alberto Romero, an ex director of the DAS (Colombian Security Service) was charged as being linked to the murder, together with Carlos CastañoCarlos Castaño
Carlos Castaño Gil was the founder of the Peasant Self-Defense Forces of Córdoba and Urabá , an extreme right paramilitary organization in Colombia...
, the chief of the AUC
United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia was created as an umbrella organization of regional far-right...
(paramilitary forces) .