One hundred years of Orlando Fals Borda

This July 11, 2025 marks the centenary of the birth of Orlando Fals Borda, a fundamental figure in Latin American social thought, considered the father of sociology in Colombia and one of the founders of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) in 1967 in the city of Bogotá.

His legacy was honored during the X Latin American and Caribbean Conference of Social Sciences of CLACSO, held from June 9 to 12 in Bogotá, with special activities that recovered his work and his tireless commitment to a situated, critical social science committed to the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Born in Barranquilla on July 11, 1925, Fals Borda founded the first Faculty of Sociology in Latin America at the National University of Colombia. He championed participatory action research as a tool for social transformation, convinced that knowledge should be produced collectively and placed at the service of popular struggles.

Throughout his life, he combined academic research with a strong political vocation. He studied literature and history at the University of Dubuque (USA), earned a master's degree in sociology from the University of Minnesota, and obtained his doctorate from the University of Florida. He was a consultant for the OAS, director general of the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture, university dean, and a leading figure in left-wing social and political movements.

In the 1980s, he was arrested along with his partner, María Cristina Salazar, accused of sympathizing with the April 19 Movement (M-19). Later, after the M-19 transformed into a legal political force, he was elected to the Constituent Assembly in 1991 and participated in drafting the new Colombian Constitution.

Until his death in 2008, Fals Borda championed a social science committed to social transformation, justice, and dignity. His thinking continues to inspire those in universities, social movements, and communities who strive for a more just and equitable Latin America.

In this centenary, CLACSO reaffirms the validity of its legacy: a living, open thought deeply rooted in the realities and hopes of the peoples of our region.