ABSTRACT
Inhabitants of the province of Antioquia had moved south in the nineteenth century to colonize the new province of Caldas, famous because on its mountain slopes grows the finest Colombian coffee. The interest groups that composed the constituency of the Bogota Light and Power Company, busily enjoying their privileges, opposed all cooperation with Electraguas, and a silent rivalry developed between the two institutions that sometimes erupted into bitter clashes, as in the case of Zipaquira. During the friendlier New Deal years, the Colombian government had settled its foreign debt in a satisfactory manner, but of the city governments, only Medellín and Bogota had reached workable agreements. The Colombian congress since 1938 had passed several pieces of pork barrel legislation calling for the construction of a dam near Cali, and that a specific proposal existed, thanks to Potess's diligence, the regional politicians pressed the national government to release the promised funds.
