Gaitan (English spelling) Jorge Eliécer Gaitán

Colombian politician and lawyer. After studying law in Bogota, he studied at the University of Rome, where he specialized in criminal law. After returning to Colombia, he joined the Liberal Party while teaching at the university, and served as President of the Legislative Assembly and Mayor of Bogota. At the time, Colombia was divided into two factions: the traditional Conservative Party, based on the landlord class, and the progressive Liberal Party, which sought social reform. He ran for president in the 1945 election with the support of peasants dissatisfied with the government run by a small number of local bosses, and the growing working class, but was defeated by Lopez of the Conservative Party. After 1945, anti-conservative movements grew throughout the country, and Gaitan was seen as the de facto leader, but he was assassinated in Bogota on April 9, 1948, during the 9th Pan-American Congress (Bogota Congress).

[Junpei Juri]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

コロンビアの政治家、法律家。ボゴタで法学を修めたのちローマ大学に留学し刑法学を専攻した。帰国後大学で教鞭(きょうべん)をとるかたわら自由党に入党し、立法院議長、ボゴタ市長を歴任した。当時コロンビアは、地主階級を基盤とする伝統的な保守党と社会改革を求める進歩的な自由党の2派が対立していた。彼は少数の地方ボスによる政治に不満を抱く農民と、増大する労働者階級とを背景に、1945年大統領選挙に立候補したが、保守党のロペスに敗れた。45年以後国内各地に反保守派運動が高まり、ガイタンは事実上の指導者と目されたが、48年4月9日第9回汎(はん)アメリカ会議（ボゴタ会議）開催中のボゴタで暗殺された。

［寿里順平］

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