1946 Colombian presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Colombia on 5 May 1946, pitching the Colombian Conservative Party against two different Colombian Liberal Party candidates.^[1] The Liberals received more votes combined, but due to their division the result was a victory for Mariano Ospina Pérez of the Conservative Party, who received 41.4% of the vote.^[2] One of the Liberal candidates, Gabriel Turbay, was also supported by the Social Democratic Party.^[2]

Quick facts Nominee, Party ...

1946 Colombian presidential election

← 1942 5 May 1946 1949 →

Nominee Mariano Ospina Pérez Gabriel Turbay Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Party Conservative Liberal Liberal dissident Popular vote 565,939 441,199 358,957 Percentage 41.43% 32.30% 26.28%

Results by municipality

President before election Alfonso López Pumarejo Liberal Elected President Mariano Ospina Pérez Conservative

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Two years after the election, the second Liberal Party candidate, Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Ayala, was assassinated. This in turn sparked a ten-year civil war known as La Violencia.^[2]