Canal Caracol and History Channel will air “El Bogotazo"

Simon says on Apr 2, 2008, 20:00:

The sixtieth anniversary of this infamous date in Colombian history is coming up on April 9.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogotazo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Violencia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Pantomime

HERE'S SIMON!!!!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Monpirri says on Apr 2, 2008, 20:01:

Gracias profe.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lcacique says on Apr 2, 2008, 20:08:

Damn!!! I'd love to see it or buy a copy of the DVD if Caracol releases it. I'm interested to see how it is handled. Damn!!! Damn!!! Damn!!!

Hoy se nota en la floresta un ambiente de alegría. ¡Y el rumor de ranchería es mas dulce y sabe a fiesta!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

de pronto says on Apr 2, 2008, 20:13:

me encanta la historia... una pregunta esto se refiere a cuando mataron a Jorge Eliecer Gaitan verdad?

... y viaje a Macondo todo pagado

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Simon says on Apr 2, 2008, 20:54:

http://www.icdc.com/~paulwolf/gaitan/elnuevoherald15oct2000.htm


Who killed Jorge E. Gaitan?


The solution to the enigma is fantastic and it might be nearby.

By Daniel Samper Pizano

Published October 11, 2000 in El Tiempo, and October 15, 2000 in El Nuevo Herald
One of the questions that has most formulated our national history is that of who killed Gaitan.� The answers have been of very distinct colors, but now a solution is planned that might clarify the enigma.� The bad part is that it requires the collaboration of the intelligence agencies of the United States, Cuba and England.

Last week this column described how the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency of the United States) rejected a legal petition of north American historian Paul Wolf, directing that the Agency would release its files about Jorge Eliecer Gaitan and the events of the 9th of April, 1948.� Versions are now appearing founded that might explain the silence of the CIA.� According to them, the organization was compromised in backing the assassination of the liberal leader and had the approval of the government of the time and of some political sectors, including a liberal boss whose name was not revealed.�

The version has fantastic characteristics, entering the dance are the CIA, Fidel Castro, Scotland Yard (British police) and the owner of the Kokorico chickens.� But our country often explains itself better as a novel than through exhaustive investigations.

One of the keys to the plot is an ex CIA agent named John Mepples Espirito.� This man, born in the United States but of Italian origin, was captured by the Cuban authorities in the early 1960s when he worked as a spy on the island.� Subjected to interrogation, he confessed to having participated, among other actions, in one called "Operation Pantomime," the goal of which was to bribe Gaitan with house, property, a professorship in Europe and scholarships for his children.� When he was not succesful, his supervisor in Bogota, a man named Thomas Elliot, communicated the decision to "work another way then" so it was necessary "to bring about his physical elimination."� For this he turned to Juan Roa Sierra, a person who had done other work for the CIA.� The broken link was forseen, with a bonus: the excited crowd liquidated the author of the crime, a thing that fell perfectly into the Agency's plans.

Espirito made his confession before a movie camera.� A couple of years later - about 1962 or 1963 - commander Pineiro, Chief of Cuban Intelligence, invited Gloria Gaitan, daughter of the leader, spokesperson of his memory and figure of the left, and showed her the unedited film.� The declaration coincided with something else she had heard from her father at home in 1947 when he revealed that seductive offers had been made if he would set aside his political campaign and dedicate himself to teaching law in Paris or Rome.� Astonished, Gloria asked for a copy of the document.� But Pineiro didn't want to give it to her because, it appears, it might damage relations with a son of ex President Ospina Perez who would maintain good commercial relations with Havana.

Another Colombian, on the other hand, was allowed some years later to view the edited film, and made a tape recording of the words of the old spy.� He was Arturo Alape, author of The Bogotazo, one of the indispensible books about the event.� By then something had changed, because the Cubans told Alape - according to the version of Gloria Gaitan - that Espirito was "delusionary" and had invented his confession.�

In 1994 Gloria visited Fidel Castro, whom she found in Bogota for the change of government, and she asked him for a copy of the documentary.� But she was enormously surprised, because now Castro denied the existence of the movie, of the confession and even of the spy.� When Gloria said that she had an audio recording, it produced, according to her, a strong discussion between the two,

Not much time would pass before a version supporting the story of the agent would appear.� Says Gloria Gaitan "In 1993, Dr. Yesid Castano (today director of Fedecafe) contacted me to tell me that Dr. Robayo, owner of Kokorico, had all the documentation of a CIA agent named Thomas Elliot who had been his close friend and who he left, before he died of cancer, the entire file about the preparation of the assassination of my father."� Castano told Gloria that Robayo was disposed to make the documentation known, including photographs of the earlier pursuit that was practiced on the victim.� "Nevertheless - adds the daughter of the leader - he has been impossible to find and until now never returned my calls.� He owes a repentance."

The latest chapter advanced two months ago in London, when the daughter of Gloria, Maria Valencia Gaitan, discovered in the archives of Scotland Yard that John Mepples Espirito married a Cuban woman, became a citizen of that country and resides there.

Gloria Gaitan proposes that she believes an ad hoc independent international tribunal in which are released the files of the CIA, the original film of the confession of Espirito and the papers of Scotland Yard with the purpose of establishing once and for all, "and who may fall, may fall," who killed Gaitan.

I think that it is a legitimate and just aspiration.



Translation by Paul Wolf

HERE'S SIMON!!!!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Simon says on Apr 2, 2008, 21:04:

"entering the dance are the CIA, Fidel Castro, Scotland Yard (British police) and the owner of the Kokorico chickens."\

So the plot thickens!

HERE'S SIMON!!!!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

webmanco says on Apr 3, 2008, 10:33:

The owner of the other blog had evidence that he collected overtime that he shared with the owner of this site at one point in time. I marked it, not as usefull but as Funny

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mononoke28 says on Apr 3, 2008, 11:27:

Will the History Channel run it here in the States? I tried to look for it on their site but I couldn't find it. My guess is... not.

Gabriel García Márquez has this date on his autobiography and it was pretty interesting to see his view on the issue. He kind of hints at the fact that there were more people involved in the murder of Gaitán and how he saw some people run the other way which no one paid attention to. It's very, very interesting.

Diana

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lcacique says on Apr 3, 2008, 11:30:

Mononoke: Let's write the history channel!!!

Hoy se nota en la floresta un ambiente de alegría. ¡Y el rumor de ranchería es mas dulce y sabe a fiesta!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

ColombianoGringo says on Apr 3, 2008, 11:31:

It may be on History Channel en Español for those that have a Spanish package.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Tinto (Moderator) says on Apr 3, 2008, 11:35:

I think Prescott Bush killed Gaitan.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mononoke28 says on Apr 3, 2008, 11:37:

I have Comcast and they blow, they don't even have it on their "Spanish" channel line up. =(

Diana

0 funny, 0 helpful.

ColombianoGringo says on Apr 3, 2008, 11:55:

Funny. I was looking into cable versus satellite today and found that Comcast's Spanish service is an absolute joke. It sucks to find out that Time Warner is coming out with that great Spanish TV and international phone package. They recently sold their Houston operations to Comcast :-(

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mononoke28 says on Apr 3, 2008, 13:18:

Comcast is a total joke and the Spanish programming is beyond horrible. I wish I could get DIRECTV back but the place I'm at won't let me put the dish where it needs to be. Funny thing is, I work for them and can get the whole shebang for free. =(

Diana

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lcacique says on Apr 3, 2008, 17:59:

I'm screwed as well then! F#%K Comcast!

Hoy se nota en la floresta un ambiente de alegría. ¡Y el rumor de ranchería es mas dulce y sabe a fiesta!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

webmanco says on Apr 4, 2008, 05:24:

Full Article

http://www.eltiempo.com/lecturas/29demarzode2008/index.html



Abril 2 de 2008


Mataron a Gaitán
¡Mataron a Gaitán! En boca de todos. Tres palabras. Tres palabras repetidas. Seis. Nueve. Más. Tres palabras en muchas voces. Voces de rabia, de dolor, de rencor, de desolación. Voces con lágrimas, angustia, miedo, inseguridad. Voces de incertidumbre, de alivio, de alegría. Tres palabras; muchas emociones. ¡Mataron a Gaitán! ¡Mataron a Gaitán!

En la tarde del 9 de abril de 1948, esas tres palabras fueron una afirmación para muchos, un dolor, una expresión espontánea con la cual buscaban con desespero llegarles a otros, tocarlos, decirles que ¡Mataron a Gaitán!, que esa muerte la sentían todos, que era de todos, que era contra todos, tres palabras que salían sin pensarlas de los pulmones para no sentir a solas esa agonía, para convertirse en algo grande, colectivo, una multitud.

The owner of the other blog had evidence that he collected overtime that he shared with the owner of this site at one point in time. I marked it, not as usefull but as Funny

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Monpirri says on Apr 4, 2008, 19:07:

CANAL 4 - COLOMBIA JORGE ELIÉCER GAITAN AYALA

El Bogotazo, La historia de una ilusión

These two clips are not recent but they tell us a bit more about El Bogotazo documentary.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cerealkiller says on Apr 5, 2008, 06:35:

ARGH!! why is this stuff not available in English speaking countries...sucks ass!!!!

Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives -John Stuart Mill

0 funny, 0 helpful.

webmanco says on Apr 9, 2008, 22:18:

Pictures of those days and now, click on the red dots.

http://www.eltiempo.com/media/produccion/infog_bogotazo/index.html

The owner of the other blog had evidence that he collected overtime that he shared with the owner of this site at one point in time. I marked it, not as usefull but as Funny

0 funny, 0 helpful.