Julio César Turbay Ayala

Julio César Turbay Ayala (June 18, 1916 – September 13, 2005) was president of Colombia from 1978 to 1982, as a member (and later leader) of the Colombian Liberal Party.

1980 Dominican Embassy Crisis

The 19th of April Movement's late 1980 takeover of the Dominican Republic's embassy, during which sixteen ambassadors were held hostage for 61 days, presented a complicated challenge to the Turbay administration.

Related Topics:
19th of April Movement - 1980 - Dominican Republic

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The incident soon spread throughout worldwide headlines, as ambassadors from the United States of America, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Israel and Venezuela had been taken hostage, as well as Colombia's top representative to the Holy See.

Related Topics:
United States of America - Costa Rica - Mexico - Peru - Israel - Venezuela - Holy See

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Turbay, despite pressure from military and political sectors, avoided deciding to solve the crisis through the use of direct military force, and instead eventually agreed to let the M-19 rebels travel to Cuba. Allegedly, the rebels also received USD $1 million as payment, instead of the initial $50 million that they had originally demanded from the government.

Related Topics:
Cuba - USD

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That a mostly peaceful resolution to the crisis was found has been generally considered as a positive aspect of Turbay's administration, as seen by later and contemporary commentators and historians.

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In particular, former M-19 members, including Rosemberg Pabón, the commander of the guerrilla group's operative unit at the time, later recognized and respected Turbay's handling of the situation.

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