President Eduardo Santos

In August 1938, Eduardo Santos replaced Alfonso López Pumarejo as Liberal president. Santos was much more moderate than his predecessor, and he was also aware that the perceived links between López’s administration and the Spanish Popular Front had been very damaging to the former president. However, Santos was politically attuned to moderate Spanish Republicans and had met and/or worked with several of them in Geneva during the 1930s. His presidency also coincided with a significant moment in the Spanish Civil War. The Republican government was becoming more moderate in an attempt to overcome its international isolation, as evidenced by its ‘Thirteen Points’ peace programme in May 1938 that included an amnesty for all Spaniards and the disbandment of the International Brigades four months later. The new president did not withdraw Colombian support for the Spanish Republic, although his government did put an end to public declarations of that support. 

Two key decisions that Santos took provide insight into his more pragmatic approach towards the Spanish Civil War. Firstly, shortly after assuming the presidency, he authorised the Chamber of Congress to draft a bill authorising the government to send 10,000 pesos via the Red Cross to non-combatant zones in Spain. This reflected the international concern for civilians impacted by the civil war, and it mirrored similar initiatives taken by other American nations including the United States. Conservative opponents attacked the move as being a clear indication of the president’s support for the Spanish Republic, despite the fact that it was carried out under the international principle of neutrality. 

However, barely five months later, Santos oversaw Colombia’s recognition of Francisco Franco as Spanish leader on 1 April 1939. This followed the collapse of the Republican government on 8 March and the fall of Madrid on 28th. In taking this decision, which had been the subject of much discussion over the previous six weeks, the president communicated regularly with other regional governments although the final decision to recognize Franco was taken unilaterally. The move marked a blow for many left-wing Colombians who had supported the Spanish Republic and who accused the president of acquiescing to fascist forces. 

CE