Carlos Pizarro Leongómez
Encyclopedia
Carlos Pizarro Leongómez (6 June 1951 - 26 April 1990) was the fourth commander of the Colombian guerrilla group
19th of April Movement
(Movimiento 19 de Abril) (M-19). 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 (Alianza Democrática M-19) (AD/M-19). Pizarro was assassinated on 26 April 1990.
He was admitted later in the faculty of Law of the Pontifical Xavierian University
where participated in the only student strike of the institution, and was expelled as a result. Later Pizarro-Leongomez entered the National University of Colombia
, where he completed his studies in Law and participated in political left-wing activism. He joined the Communist Youth Party (Juventud Comunista, JUCO). He was sent to the zones of violence to undertake social work.
(Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC)) at the age of 18 years. Because of disagreements with the group's leaders, he left FARC and with Jaime Bateman, Alvaro Fayad
“the Turk”, Luis Otero Cifuentes
, Vera Grabe
and others, founded the April 19 Movement (M-19), at the end of 1973.
The M-19 was an urban, nationalistic, bolivarian and social democratic guerrilla group. On 20 January 1974 the M-19 stole Simón Bolívar's sword from the Quinta de Bolivar. The sword became the symbol of the guerrillas' fight under the slogan of “Bolivar your sword returns to the fight".
Soon they transferred to the jail of La Picota of Bogota, where other guerrillas were being held. He remained in jail three years. He and his companions were freed in 1982 at the beginning of the government of Belisario Betancur after being approved by absolute majority in the Congress under an amnesty law.
After the amnesty, Pizarro continued his guerrilla activities insisting that the government establish a dialogue of peace.
At the beginning of 1985 in quality of supreme commander, Pizarro announces defeat the truce and the resumption of operations of the guerrilla. The 6 of November of that same year, Alvaro Fayad orders the taking of the Palace of Justice in Bogota kidnapping to the magistrates of the high courts, the objective of the taking was the juzgamiento of the president to fail to fulfill the agreements of Corinto. The government ignoring the requests of the group orders the army to attack the building, without surviving the guerrillas nor the hostages who requested ceasefire and the respect to the life.
. Prior to '86 Pizarro was the movement's military commander and often credited with moving the group in a more militant direction. In January 1986, from the Cauca Andes mountains, Pizarro announced the organization of the "America" Battalion which was compromised of fighters from the National Guerrilla Coordinating Group (Coordinadora Nacional Guerrillera) (CNG) and foreign fighters from other Latin American countries.
The "America" Battalion was to operate much like the CNG, but on an international level that would include fighters from all over Latin America
. The group however was unable to operate and consolidate due to deportation
of suspicious foreigners in the Cauca Department
. The groups victories included the seizure of neighboring areas such as Belalcazar
in August 1986 and Inza in September 1986.
for all prior activities as well as the right to form a political party
. M-19 in return agreed to turn over all weapons and not to return to violent activities, the demobilization date was set for mid December 1989. The accord was signed in the town of Santo Domingo by Jaime Pardo Rueda, adviser to the president, Raul Orejuela Bueno, Minister of Interior and Pizarro, Commander of M-19.
Following the signing of the accord
, M-19 announced Pizarro would officially run as the groups presidential nomination in the 1990 elections. He would soon after be assassinated in a plane on April 26, 1990 by a young paramilitary thug named Gerardo Gutierrez Uribe aka "Jerry". During the 1990 presidential campaign, three candidates were assassinated: Luis Carlos Galán
, the leading Liberal
candidate, Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa
for the political party Unión Patriótica (UP), and Pizarro. Following the assassination, Antonio Navarro Wolff
accepted the nomination of AD/M-19. Wolff would later finish third in the race, with 12.7% of vote, losing out to César Gaviria
who later appointed him the position of health minister.
Chief Prosecutor Alfonso Gomez would later charge Carlos Castaño
, former leader of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
(AUC), for the deaths of Jaramillo Ossa and Pizarro on May 24, 1999.
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
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...
(Movimiento 19 de Abril) (M-19). Pizarro later ran for president of Colombia after the demobilization
Demobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
of M-19 that transformed the group into the political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
, M-19 Democratic Alliance (Alianza Democrática M-19) (AD/M-19). Pizarro was assassinated on 26 April 1990.
Early years
He was the son of navy admiral Juan Antonio Pizarro. He studied in several high schools and a boarding school in Bogota where he graduated as Bachelor.He was admitted later in the faculty of Law of the Pontifical Xavierian University
Pontifical Xavierian University
The Pontificia Universidad Javeriana is a private higher education institution founded in 1623. It is one of the oldest, most traditional, and prestigious Colombian universities, directed by the Society of Jesus, with its main facilities in Bogotá and a second campus in Cali...
where participated in the only student strike of the institution, and was expelled as a result. Later Pizarro-Leongomez entered the National University of Colombia
National University of Colombia
The Universidad Nacional de Colombia , also called UNAL or just UN, is a public, national, coeducational, research university, located primarily in Bogotá, Medellín, Manizales and Palmira, Colombia...
, where he completed his studies in Law and participated in political left-wing activism. He joined the Communist Youth Party (Juventud Comunista, JUCO). He was sent to the zones of violence to undertake social work.
The M-19
He enlisted in the Revolutionary Armed Forces of ColombiaRevolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army is a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization based in Colombia which is involved in the ongoing Colombian armed conflict, currently involved in drug dealing and crimes against the civilians..FARC-EP is a peasant army which...
(Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC)) at the age of 18 years. Because of disagreements with the group's leaders, he left FARC and with Jaime Bateman, Alvaro Fayad
Alvaro Fayad
Álvaro Fayad Delgado “The Turk” was a Colombian guerilla, cofounder and leader of the 19th of April movement , founded in 1970.-Early life:...
“the Turk”, Luis Otero Cifuentes
Luis Otero Cifuentes
Luis Otero Cifuentes was a politician and Colombian guerrilla.-Biography:He studied Anthropology in the National University...
, Vera Grabe
Vera Grabe
Vera Grabe Loewenherz is a Colombian anthropologist, politician, and former member of the Colombian guerrilla M-19, of which she was also a co-founder...
and others, founded the April 19 Movement (M-19), at the end of 1973.
The M-19 was an urban, nationalistic, bolivarian and social democratic guerrilla group. On 20 January 1974 the M-19 stole Simón Bolívar's sword from the Quinta de Bolivar. The sword became the symbol of the guerrillas' fight under the slogan of “Bolivar your sword returns to the fight".
Arrest and amnesty
In 1979 Pizarro was detected in Santander, after a crude attack of the army. He and several companions were taken to a military base where they were tortured.Soon they transferred to the jail of La Picota of Bogota, where other guerrillas were being held. He remained in jail three years. He and his companions were freed in 1982 at the beginning of the government of Belisario Betancur after being approved by absolute majority in the Congress under an amnesty law.
After the amnesty, Pizarro continued his guerrilla activities insisting that the government establish a dialogue of peace.
The process of peace, the truce, the breaking of these and the Palace of Justice
On 24 August 1984 of sign the Agreements of Corinto, after an attack that suffered during an ambush of the army (next to other made its companion Iván Marino Ospina) in that salio hurt next to its companion. In spite of the intention to lay down the arms, Pizarro controls new battles against the army after this also attacked his main amnestied heads or in truce and the camping in truce in Yarumales.At the beginning of 1985 in quality of supreme commander, Pizarro announces defeat the truce and the resumption of operations of the guerrilla. The 6 of November of that same year, Alvaro Fayad orders the taking of the Palace of Justice in Bogota kidnapping to the magistrates of the high courts, the objective of the taking was the juzgamiento of the president to fail to fulfill the agreements of Corinto. The government ignoring the requests of the group orders the army to attack the building, without surviving the guerrillas nor the hostages who requested ceasefire and the respect to the life.
"America" Battalion & CNG
Pizarro became commander of M-19 in 1986, following the Palace of Justice siegePalace of Justice siege
The Palace of Justice siege was a 1985 attack against the Supreme Court of Colombia, in which members of the M-19 guerrilla group took over the Palace of Justice in Bogotá, Colombia, and held the Supreme Court hostage, intending to hold a trial against President Belisario Betancur...
. Prior to '86 Pizarro was the movement's military commander and often credited with moving the group in a more militant direction. In January 1986, from the Cauca Andes mountains, Pizarro announced the organization of the "America" Battalion which was compromised of fighters from the National Guerrilla Coordinating Group (Coordinadora Nacional Guerrillera) (CNG) and foreign fighters from other Latin American countries.
The "America" Battalion was to operate much like the CNG, but on an international level that would include fighters from all over Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. The group however was unable to operate and consolidate due to deportation
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
of suspicious foreigners in the Cauca Department
Cauca Department
Cauca is a Department of Colombia. Located in the south-western part of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Valle del Cauca Department to the north, Tolima Department to the northeast, Huila Department to the east and the Nariño Department to the south, covering a total area of...
. The groups victories included the seizure of neighboring areas such as Belalcazar
Belalcázar, Caldas
Belalcázar is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Caldas.In the southern part of the town there is a statue of Christ Redeemer, one of the tallest in the world....
in August 1986 and Inza in September 1986.
AD/M-19 formation and Death
After 19 years in operation the group, commanded by Pizarro, began negotiating with the Colombian government, in April 1989, for demobilization conditional on certain grounds. The primary request of the group was a full pardonPardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
for all prior activities as well as the right to form a political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. M-19 in return agreed to turn over all weapons and not to return to violent activities, the demobilization date was set for mid December 1989. The accord was signed in the town of Santo Domingo by Jaime Pardo Rueda, adviser to the president, Raul Orejuela Bueno, Minister of Interior and Pizarro, Commander of M-19.
Following the signing of the accord
Accord
-Peace agreements:*Arab-Israeli conflict** Camp David Accords in the Egypt-Israel conflict** Oslo Accords , part of a peace process of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...
, M-19 announced Pizarro would officially run as the groups presidential nomination in the 1990 elections. He would soon after be assassinated in a plane on April 26, 1990 by a young paramilitary thug named Gerardo Gutierrez Uribe aka "Jerry". During the 1990 presidential campaign, three candidates were assassinated: Luis Carlos Galán
Luis Carlos Galán
Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento was a Colombian journalist and liberal politician who ran for the presidency of Colombia on two occasions, the first time representing the Liberal Party in 1982 which he lost to Belisario Betancur...
, the leading Liberal
Colombian Liberal Party
The Colombian Liberal Party is a center-left party in Colombia that adheres to social democracy and social liberalism.The Party was founded in 1848 and, together with the Colombian Conservative Party, subsequently became one of the two main political forces in the country for over a century.After...
candidate, Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa
Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa
Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa was a Colombian politician member of the Colombian Communist Party...
for the political party Unión Patriótica (UP), and Pizarro. Following the assassination, Antonio Navarro Wolff
Antonio Navarro Wolff
Antonio Navarro Wolff is a Colombian politician and former commander of the 19th of April Movement guerrilla group, which demobilized and formed a political party which he also led...
accepted the nomination of AD/M-19. Wolff would later finish third in the race, with 12.7% of vote, losing out to César Gaviria
César Gaviria
César Gaviria Trujillo is a Colombian politician and a Latin American statesman. He served as President of Colombia from 1990 to 1994, and Secretary General of the Organization of American States from 1994 until 2004.-Early life:...
who later appointed him the position of health minister.
Chief Prosecutor Alfonso Gomez would later charge Carlos Castaño
Carlos Castaño
Carlos Castaño Gil was the founder of the Peasant Self-Defense Forces of Córdoba and Urabá , an extreme right paramilitary organization in Colombia...
, former leader of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia was created as an umbrella organization of regional far-right...
(AUC), for the deaths of Jaramillo Ossa and Pizarro on May 24, 1999.
See also
- 19th of April Movement19th of April MovementThe 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...
- History of ColombiaHistory of ColombiaThis article deals with the history of Colombia, a country in South America.-Pre-Colombian period:Approximately 10,000 years BC hunter-gatherer societies existed near present-day Bogotá , and they traded with one another and with cultures living in the Magdalena River valley...
- Palace of Justice siegePalace of Justice siegeThe Palace of Justice siege was a 1985 attack against the Supreme Court of Colombia, in which members of the M-19 guerrilla group took over the Palace of Justice in Bogotá, Colombia, and held the Supreme Court hostage, intending to hold a trial against President Belisario Betancur...
- Politics of ColombiaPolitics of ColombiaThe Politics of Colombia take place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Colombia is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government...