The trial against Rojas Pinilla and the construction of collective memory in 1950’s Colombia

Abstract

“The Violence” in Colombia in the 1950’s was closed without a trial of responsibilities, without reparation to the victims or a process to assimilate the meaning of what had happened. This paper shows that general Rojas Pinilla’s trial at the Congress of the Republic between August 1958 and April 1959, was not only a way to confer legitimacy upon the political agreement in the National Front, but also a privileged scenario to challenge and discuss the responsibilities on the events, as well as an arena to build and recreate collective memory at that time.

Keywords

• Collective memory
• political trials
• Colombia
• conflict
• 1950’s violence.