M-19 GUERRILLA CRIMES

19th of April Movement (1974-1990)

GUSTAVO PETRO WAS AN ACTIVE M-19 MEMBER

Joined 1977 (age 17) | Arrested 1985 | Member until demobilization 1990

M-19 Criminal Activities

Kidnappings

M-19 regularly conducted kidnappings for ransom and political leverage. Victims included businessmen, politicians, and foreign diplomats. Ransom money funded guerrilla operations including weapons purchases.

Assassinations

Targeted killings of political opponents, military officers, and police. M-19 operated as an urban guerrilla group conducting assassinations in Colombian cities.

Embassy Siege (1980)

February 27, 1980: 35 M-19 guerrillas storm the Dominican Republic embassy during a cocktail party.

14 ambassadors taken hostage (including US Ambassador)
Largest diplomatic hostage-taking in Colombian history
Siege lasted 61 days
Guerrillas eventually flew to Cuba with $2.5 million ransom

Palace of Justice Siege (1985)

THE DEADLIEST M-19 ATTACK

98+

Total Killed

Disappeared

Justices Killed

M-19 Attackers

Timeline of the Attack

Time	Event
Nov 6, 11:30 AM	35 M-19 guerrillas storm Palace of Justice in Bogotá
Nov 6, 12:00 PM	~300 hostages taken including Supreme Court justices and lawyers
Nov 6, Afternoon	M-19 demands trial of President Betancur for "betraying peace"
Nov 6, Evening	Military's 13th Brigade surrounds building
Nov 6-7, Night	Army launches assault; intense firefight
Nov 7, Morning	Building catches fire during battle
Nov 7, Afternoon	Siege ends - all M-19 attackers dead

Casualty Breakdown

Category	Deaths	Notes
Supreme Court Justices	12	Including Chief Justice Alfonso Reyes
Other Hostages	43	Lawyers, employees, visitors
Colombian Soldiers	48	During military assault
M-19 Guerrillas	35	All attackers killed
Disappeared	11	Never found - presumed dead
TOTAL	98+

Pablo Escobar Connection

DISPUTED - Evidence Both Ways

Claims Escobar funded the attack:

Escobar's son claims father paid M-19 $1 million
Escobar's mistress Virginia Vallejo testified to payment
Former Escobar hitman claims $2 million payment
Extradition case files (against Escobar) were being reviewed that day
Files destroyed in fire - cui bono?

M-19 denies cartel funding:

Former M-19 commanders deny any drug money
Called accusations "far-right urban myth"
Testified to Colombian Truth Commission denying links

Petro's Position on M-19 Legacy

"The lie about our ties to the Medellin Cartel became popular belief after constant repetition by members of the military and the country's far-right."

- Petro's position on Escobar accusations

Petro's Rehabilitation of M-19

Since taking office, Petro has repeatedly invoked M-19 not as a terrorist group, but as a "democratic insurgency" that helped open political space.

Carries Bolívar's sword (stolen by M-19 in 1974) at state ceremonies
Calls the theft an act of "restoration for the people"
Denies M-19 received drug money from Escobar
Suggested Justice Manuel Gaona (executed at close range) may have died at hands of state forces instead
Anniversary commemorations sparked controversy in 2025