Impact international de la prise de l’ambassade de la République Dominicaine à Bogota en 1980 : acteurs, intérêts, dialogue et négociation

Abstract

In Colombia, under the government of Julio Cesar Turbay Ayala (1978-1982), the National Security Statute was adopted and with it the tensions and violence between insurgent groups and the State increased. Between February 27 and April 25, 1980, an armed commando of the urban guerrilla movement M-19 carried out a takeover of the Dominican Republic embassy in Bogotá, which ended with the liberation of the ambassadors who had been held there for 61 days. The liberation was possible thanks to the results of a negotiation table with the support of international actors in the region. Using primary sources from the archives of the Administrative Department of the Presidency, the objective of this article is to analyze the international impact of the capture of the Dominican Embassy in Bogotá, taking into account three elements. First, the motivations of the M19 to carry out the capture of the embassy. Second, the participation of international governments and institutions involved in the negotiation and release of the prisoners. Finally, the consequences of the negotiation and release of the detained diplomats. The analysis of this historical episode from this perspective allows us to identify and characterize certain types of regional and global actors that interacted from Latin America in the development of political violence and the search for peace in the region. It also constitutes a contribution to the history of international relations of Colombia and the Latin American region with regard to the management of armed conflicts, peace negotiations and diplomacy for peace.

Keywords

• Colombia
• Cuba
• Cold War
• Dominican Republic
• peace dialogues