▁throughout ▁Colombia , ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁Conserv ative ▁– ▁Liberal ▁civil ▁war ▁that ▁killed ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people . ▁In ▁Colomb ian ▁history ▁and ▁culture , ▁the ▁kill ings ▁are ▁known ▁as ▁La ▁Vi ol encia ▁( The ▁Vi ol ence , ▁ 1 9 4 8 – 5 8 ); ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁killed ▁were ▁pe as ants ▁and ▁labor ers ▁in ▁rural ▁Colombia . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 7 – 1 9 5 8 , ▁the ▁political ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party ▁and ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁Party ▁agreed ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁b ipart isan ▁political ▁system ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁National ▁Front ▁( Fr ente ▁Nacional , ▁ 1 9 5 8 – 7 4 ). ▁The ▁Liberal ▁and ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁parties ▁agreed ▁to ▁alternate ▁in ▁the ▁exercise ▁of ▁government ▁power ▁by ▁present ing ▁a ▁joint ▁National ▁Front ▁candidate ▁to ▁each ▁election ▁and ▁restrict ing ▁the ▁participation ▁of ▁other ▁political ▁movements . ▁ ▁The ▁p act ▁was ▁rat ified ▁as ▁a ▁constitution al ▁am end ment ▁by ▁a ▁national ▁ple bis cite ▁on ▁ 1 ▁December ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁and ▁was ▁supported ▁by ▁the ▁Church ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Colombia ' s ▁business ▁leaders . ▁The ▁initial ▁power - sh aring ▁agreement ▁was ▁effective ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 4 ; ▁non eth eless , ▁with ▁modifications , ▁the ▁Liberal – Con serv ative ▁b ipart isan ▁system ▁last ed ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁The ▁six teen -