Coup Atlas Research Database
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10012041958ConspiracyDissident coup

Colombia, 1958 — dissident coup conspiracy

Colombia (COL)South America, AmericasDecember 4, 1958

Event Summary

The dataset records an event coded as a dissident conspiracy in Colombia on 4 December 1958, during the first months of the National Front presidency of Alberto Lleras Camargo, the Liberal inaugurated in August 1958 as the first president under the bipartisan power-sharing arrangement. Former dictator Gustavo Rojas Pinilla had returned from exile on 12 October 1958, an event that, according to United States diplomatic records, occasioned considerable plotting, some overt but most covert, and raised fears of a violent overthrow of the democratic National Union government headed by Lleras Camargo. The government was preparing to try Rojas on 15 December 1958 for constitutional violations.

The coded early-December 1958 conspiracy fits this Rojas-linked plotting against the new National Front government during a tense period of consolidation.

Researched Details

Researched

Independent research, added record by record. Hover any label for what it means.

Target identified in Coup Atlas research: The Lleras Camargo government withstood the plotting and tried Rojas Pinilla in December 1958
RESEARCHED NAME
Key figures
Alberto Lleras Camargo (first National Front president, target)
Gustavo Rojas Pinilla (returned ex-dictator, focal point of plotting)
Rojas-aligned military and civilian elements (plotters)

Sources

Rojas Pinilla returned to Bogota on 12 October 1958 despite government warnings, and his presence occasioned considerable plotting, some overt but most covert.
SOURCE REVIEWED U.S. State Department, FRUS 1958-60 vol. V supplement open source ↗
The US Embassy expressed concern from the moment of Rojas's return at the danger of a violent overthrow of the democratic National Union government headed by Alberto Lleras Camargo.
SOURCE REVIEWED U.S. State Department, FRUS 1958-60 vol. V supplement open source ↗
The government planned to bring Rojas to trial on 15 December 1958 on charges ranging from violation of the Constitution and laws to indignities.
SOURCE REVIEWED U.S. State Department, FRUS 1958-60 vol. V supplement open source ↗

Editorial Note

Context-strong: FRUS explicitly documents considerable Rojas-linked plotting against the Lleras Camargo government around Rojas's October 1958 return and his December 1958 trial. Recorded as context. Distinct from the May 1957 coup and the May 1958 assassination plot against Lleras and the junta. Second Colombia record; pairs with the 17 November 1957 Colombia record in this batch.

Cross-Reference

Only one dataset carries it. One of the three reference datasets we check against carries this event; the others do not list it. That is not a contradiction — the datasets cover different periods and use different thresholds — but it means the record has had less outside corroboration.

Identifiers for finding this same event in the other datasets:

Cline Center id
10012041958

How the match is made is described in crossref-report.md.

Outcome and Target

Coup Atlas research identifies the target as: The Lleras Camargo government withstood the plotting and tried Rojas Pinilla in December 1958.

Baseline coding: Plot discovered and disrupted before execution. Recorded leader fate: remained in office; not physically harmed. The baseline file does not name individual targets; researched names are kept in a separate layer.

Baseline Dataset Citation

Cline Center Coup d’État Project Dataset, v2.2.2
Peyton, Buddy, Joseph Bajjalieh, Michael Martin, and Andrea Gerald. 2026. Cline Center Coup d’État Project Dataset. Cline Center for Advanced Social Research. V.2.2.2. February 17. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. doi: 10.13012/B2IDB-9651987_V10
⚑ This citation establishes the coded baseline record; use the claim-level sources above for the researched narrative.

Baseline Source-Document Entries

New York Times

“EX-DICTATOR HELD AT SEA BY BOGOTA; Rojas Pinilla Being Detained On Warship In Caribbean After Failure of Plot,” December 5, 1958

Washington Post and Times Herald

“Colombia Put in State Of Siege,” December 4, 1958

This is the citation trail carried by the baseline dataset, grouped by outlet and rejoined from the line-wrapped original. Coup Atlas has not independently re-checked every document; read the original before citing a specific claim. URLs the import damaged beyond safe repair are shown as plain text and listed in citations-report.md. How this list is built →

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