Colombia: An Overview

A land torn by violence

When the Spanish colonists arrived in the region around 1500, they found the indigenous tribes of the Chibchas (or Muiscas) and the Taironas. Both were over the years decimated or conquered. The movement for independence began in 1810, led mostly by Simon Bolivar and Francisco de Paula Santander. It triumphed in 1819.

This territory, then known as the Viceroyalty of New Granada, was changed to the Federal Republic of Great Colombia. In 1830, divisions within the internal power led to the separation of the provinces that made up Great Colombia: Venezuela, Ecuador, and Columbia.

Following this separation, the divisions remained, triggering a civil war ending in the secession of Panama in 1903, under the pressure of the United States.

Since the 1960's Colombia has been ravaged by armed conflicts between left-wing guerillas such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) or the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), and some paramilitary groups of the extreme right such as the United Auto defenses of Columbia (AUC) warring against each other and opposed to the Colombian government.

In addition, drug trafficking is a source of extreme tension in Colombia.

A people who turned to Mary

In Colombia, not only do parishes bear Marian names, but also regions, rivers, mountains, beaches, towns, villages and streets are named after the Virgin. The whole population is turned toward Mary.

The President, Diego Torres e Beaumont, used to recite the little office of Our Lady every Saturday; state representative members placed themselves under the protection of Mary and promised to defend the mystery of her Immaculate Conception; Saint Peter Claver collected locks of hair to place at the feet of Our Lady of abandoned soldiers who had fought with a rosary in their hands, proclaiming that Mary was their captain.

Pius XII called this country the "Mary's Garden."

The national shrine is near the little town of Ipiales and dedicated to Our Lady of Las Lajas.

But it was at Chiquinquira that Pope John Paul II consecrated Colombia to the Virgin Mary, on July 3, 1986.

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