The Red Menace

Press, anti-communism and fear in the political polarization of Colombia and the department of Santander, 1930-1946

Abstract

Parallel to the worldwide political and cultural transformations in the twenties, an environment of political polarization began in Colombia in this same decade, which had a new ingredient in the renewed dispute between the traditional parties: the red panic. The red panic was a permanent disinformation campaign strategy carried out by local and national newspapers with clear political interests. The purpose of this article is to analyze this fear of communism in the context of the political confrontation in the 1930-1940s in Santander. This will make it possible to recognize which groups, and from which periodicals, assumed themselves to be left-wing groups. In addition, it seeks to identify who was branded as communists and how this discursive weapon was used based on fear, to further polarize politics and exacerbate violence. To carry out this analysis, three periodicals from different political spectrums will be examined: "El Deber", "Vanguardia Liberal" and "Tribuna Liberal". Special attention will be paid to the changing use that these newspapers made of anti-communism in different political situations.