The Revolution started and the reform of Colombian society

Conservative governments had initiated a process of economic modernization without

taking into account the social structures of the country. In this sense, the revolution in
motion trying to carry out a series of reforms to put alongside economic and social
modernization, and thus prevent inequality in the Colombian people lived, triggered a
revolution. The Revolution underway focused on three points:

1. Recognition of the problems of the working class: Unlike conservative governments,

Lopez acknowledged conflicts between employers and employees and therefore
intervened in labor relations, which best guarantees to employees were granted.
Moreover, the right to strike was established, the National Department of Labour was
organized and the General Confederation of Workers (CGT) was created.

2. Agrarian Reform: With the aim of democratizing the land, the government issued Law
200 of 1936 or Land Act, which sought to regularize the procedures for land titling and
give the possibility of access to wastelands to humble peasants. This law prohibited
evictions of peasants invaded lands that did not belong to them and allowed the state to
expropriate land if necessary.

3. The Constitutional reform of 1936: With this reform, the government wanted to achieve
greater interventionism in economic management and subjugate private property to social
interests. Another aspect of the constitutional reform was aimed at the separation of
church and state. The article of the constitution was removed linking public education to
the Catholic Church and freedom of education he was enacted.

The opposition
Although the reforms proposed by the Revolution in place were little radical, if they are
compared with others taken in other countries in Latin America, because in reality, only
sought to modernize society, and these reforms were seen by the conservative clergy,
industrialists and landowners as the introduction of a communist regime. The Church,
from the pulpits incited Lopez opposition in Congress, conservatives in alliance with a
sector of liberalism; they did everything possible to torpedo the legislative proposals of
Lopez. From the political and intellectual youth belonging to the right of the country's
rebellion called conservatives. There was so much fear that the elite had to reforms
Lopez, that even a section of his own party began to give opposition, especially
entrepreneurs and liberal landowners, who in 1934 founded the Patriotic Action National
Economic, CEF to face proposals for agrarian and tax reform. Thus, the Lopez ended
with a deep political polarization.