Territorial Rule in Colombia and the Transformation of the Llanos Orientales

“An important contribution to Colombian historical writing. Rausch’s works have helped orient and stimulate a school of historical writing in Colombia.”—James D. Henderson, author of __Modernization in Colombia: The Laureano Gómez Years, 1889–1965__ “With this fourth and final volume, Rausch completes her authoritative cycle of studies charting the history of Colombia’s Llanos Orientales__.__ Her work can take its rightful place alongside that of Orlando Fals Borda’s innovative four-volume exploration of the Colombian Atlantic coast, __Historia Doble de la Costa.__”—W. John Green, author of __Gaitanismo, Left Liberalism, and Popular Mobilization in Colombia__ Prior to the 1980s, Colombia’s Llanos Orientales was a vast plain of tropical grassland east of the Andes. Populated mainly by indigenous people, the area was considered “primitive” until exploitable petroleum deposits were discovered. The finding transformed the Llanos into the fastest growing region in the country. In this volume, Jane Rausch surveys sixty years of history in the Llanos, between 1946 and 2010, combining perspective gained by her first-hand experiences with archival research. She examines the Colombian government’s Llanos policies and the political, economic, and social changes they have brought about. Rausch’s large-scale historical survey of the region ultimately reveals that as a South American frontier, the Llanos is politically and economically critical to both Colombia’s present and its future. “An important contribution to Colombian historical writing. Rausch’s works have helped orient and stimulate a school of historical writing in Colombia.”—James D. Henderson, author of Modernization in Colombia: The Laureano Gómez Years, 1889–1965 “With this fourth and final volume, Rausch completes her authoritative cycle of studies charting the history of Colombia’s Llanos Orientales . Her work can take its rightful place alongside that of Orlando Fals Borda’s innovative four-volume exploration of the Colombian Atlantic coast, Historia Doble de la Costa. ”—W. John Green, author of Gaitanismo, Left Liberalism, and Popular Mobilization in Colombia Prior to the 1980s, Colombia’s Llanos Orientales was a vast plain of tropical grassland east of the Andes. Populated mainly by indigenous people, the area was considered “primitive” until exploitable petroleum deposits were discovered. The finding transformed the Llanos into the fastest growing region in the country. In this volume, Jane Rausch surveys sixty years of history in the Llanos, between 1946 and 2010, combining perspective gained by her first-hand experiences with archival research. She examines the Colombian government’s Llanos policies and the political, economic, and social changes they have brought about. Rausch’s large-scale historical survey of the region ultimately reveals that as a South American frontier, the Llanos is politically and economically critical to both Colombia’s present and its future. Until the 1980s, Colombia's Llanos Orientales was a frontier, a vast tropical grassland plain east of the Andes. Populated mainly by indigenous people, it was considered'primitive'by much of the rest of Colombia. All of that changed when exploitable petroleum deposits were discovered, and the Llanos was transformed into the fastest growing region in the country. Rausch surveys sixty years of the area's history, from La Violencia—the civil war that rocked the country from 1948 to 1958—and the presidency of Rojas Pinilla, who helped pacify the Llanos in the late 1950s, to the National Front agreement between the Conservative and Liberal parties during the 1960s, its aftermath, and the rapid changes during the last half of the twentieth century. Using archival research and her own first-hand experiences, Jane Rausch examines the Colombian government's Llanos policies and the political, economic, and social changes they have brought about. This book brings to a strong conclusion Rausch's large-scale historical survey of a region: one sharing much in common with other South American frontiers and critical to Colombia's present and future. An Examination Of The Llanos Orientales Of Colombia (an Area That, Up To The 1980s, Could Still Be Considered Frontier) And The Effects Of The Discovery Of Petroleum In The Region And The Rapid Growth That Ensued. The Llanos Frontier On The Eve Of La Violencia -- The Violencia And Its Impact On The Llanos, 1946-1953 -- Rojas Pinilla And The Pacification Of The Llanos, 1953-1957 -- Territorial Rule During The National Front And Its Aftermath, 1958-1978 -- The Contemporary Era, 1978-2010 -- Changing Concepts Of The Llanos Frontier In The Last Half Of The Twentieth Century. Jane M. Rausch. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover 1 Territorial Rule in Colombia and the Transformation of the Llanos Orientales 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 List of Illustrations 7 Preface 8 1. The Llanos Frontier on the Eve of La Violencia 12 2. The Violencia and Its Impact on the Llanos, 1946–1953 40 3. Rojas Pinilla and the Pacification of the Llanos, 1953–1957 65 4. Territorial Rule during the National Front and Its Aftermath, 1958–1978 90 5. The Contemporary Era, 1978–2010 119 6. Changing Concepts of the Llanos Frontier in the Last Half of the Twentieth Century 139 Glossary 158 Abbreviations Used in Notes and Bibliography 162 Notes 164 Bibliography 182 Index 190