Sibling rivalry on the left and labor struggles in Colombia during the 1940s

On the Colombian Left during the 1940s, little differentiated the rank and file of the Communist party from the left wing of the Liberal party Individ uals commonly moved back and forth between the two groups. Animosity was ra mpant among leaders, however, as shown by the clashes between the principal companeros and Jorge Eliecer Gaitan's left-Liberal populist mobilization. As this rivalry played out in the Communist strongholds of the union moveme nt, it became apparent that a large portion of the organized working class (perhaps a majority) supported Gaitan even though their leaders dismissed h im as a fascist. Workers, organized and unorganized, clearly demonstrated t heir belief that Gaitanismo was a radical movement of change despite the fa ct that it arose within the traditional party system.