Four Decades On, Colombia Confronts Unhealed Wounds of Palace of Justice Tragedy

5 hours ago7 min read

Colombia solemnly commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Palace of Justice siege, a catastrophic event that continues to cast a long shadow over the nation's judiciary and political landscape. On November 6, 1985, the epicenter of Colombian justice was violently seized by 35 M-19 guerrilla fighters who stormed the building housing the Supreme Court and Council of State.The armed group sought to put President Belisario Betancur's government on trial for what they claimed were broken peace promises, but their assault triggered a 27-hour military counter-operation that culminated in a deadly inferno. The state's aggressive response, involving tanks and infantry, led to a devastating fire that claimed over 100 lives—including twelve Supreme Court justices, numerous judicial employees, and most of the insurgents.In a haunting final broadcast, Supreme Court President Alfonso Reyes Echandía pleaded from a besieged office, 'They’re burning the Palace of Justice! They’re killing us one by one!' before perishing. The aftermath spawned enduring controversies, with families of the disappeared—notably eleven cafeteria workers who vanished—continuing to demand accountability for alleged extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances by state forces.This watershed moment profoundly intensified Colombia's internal conflict, exposing critical institutional vulnerabilities and establishing a troubling precedent for military engagement in civilian governance. Although the M-19 later demobilized into a political party and the government has initiated reparations, the pursuit of complete truth and justice remains an unresolved imperative, reflecting a nation's ongoing reckoning with a painful chapter in its history.

#Colombia

#Palace of Justice

#M-19 guerrilla

#siege

#armed conflict

#40th anniversary

#Bogota

#featured

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