How History - and Memory - Shape Our Understanding of the Past

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]My name is Adriana Ramirez and I am the author of the violence, my family's Colombian war.

[00:00:04]I'd like to read an excerpt about the assassination of Gaitan and the man who shot him.

[00:00:11]The man holding the discharged revolver in the face of an angry crowd, this man has a decision to make.

[00:00:16]Should he run? The crowd lined up, moved forward ready for something.

[00:00:21]As the smoke cleared they screamed assassin and more and more bodies joined the throng, more and more whispers filled in the void and more and more eyes fell on him as their fists sharpened. Their bodies so tightly packed together ran toward the alleged gunman in an attempt to counter through flesh what had already been wrought with bullets.

[00:00:39]Sleeves were rolled up to intent elbows, rocks and other makeshift weapons gathered in lightly tanned hands, sweat collected on furrowed brows, the sweet musk of surprise and purpose fueled the charge. The crowd paraded toward the gunman, attempted to swallow him.

[00:00:55]The police could not initially proceed through the swelling bodies, could not make their way to Juan Roa Sierra.

[00:01:00]The anxious little man holding the gun in his left hand shook. They, the cops, the people, the reporters, saw the gunpowder coating the lines where Juan Roa Sierra used to smile. His unwashed and unshaven face haloed with the black fire soot, the hint of an ashen snowstorm floating around him.

[00:01:18]No one asked for confirmation. No one doubted that he was the one who pulled the trigger.

[00:01:23]The man tried to run, pushing his way through but only got as far as the arms of the law. He screamed, "Don't let them kill me."

[00:01:31]It was 1:17 p.m.