Disney’s Encanto has captivated millions all over the world for its rich colors, great tunes, and heartfelt characters. But behind all the liveliness and magical elements, Encanto portrays a heartbreaking story derived from displacement and generational trauma passed on through generations. In the film, this trauma is present in every member of the family who represents a psychological trait and role within a toxic family, as we commented on in this previous article.
However, we barely explored the roots of the trauma. As we see in the film, the origin of the Madrigal magic came after Abuelo Pedro sacrifices himself while the family and other people from their village are fleeing an armed conflict. This sort of sacrifice gives the family and the community a second chance to survive and move on, in the form of a magic candle. This one ‘encanto’ (enchantment) gives the Madrigal members a special gift (power) that is to be used (or so Abuela interprets) for the sake of this new haven and its community.
But what was precisely this conflict and why did Abuela Alma and Abuelo Pedro (along with their village) were forced to flee? That’s what many fans have been wondering and what the movie doesn’t delve into. So, since there is no actual confirmation in the film itself nor through the production, it’s all a supposition based on the type of costumes and the history of Colombia. Still, as we’ll see below, an explanation within the movie isn’t that necessary.
When is Encanto set?
As we said, based on the type of clothing and the visual elements in Encanto, we can say that the movie is set in rural Colombia around the fifties or early sixties. That would date the origin story of the family Madrigal around the turn of the century. With this in mind, the armed conflict that the movie is suggesting is what is known as the Thousand Days’ War which took place between 1899 and 1902. This conflict caused the displacement of thousands and thousands of people outside and within the country as well as the deaths of around 100 to 150 thousand people (about two-thirds of the Colombian population at the time). It’s considered one of the most violent episodes in Colombian history and one that is still carried out within the collective memory.
The Thousand Days’ War
As the name indicates, this conflict lasted around 1000 days; in plain words, it was an ideological civil war between liberals and conservatives. Conflicts between both sides were constant in most independent Latin American countries, and Colombia wasn’t the exception. The background was that the conservatives wanted to favor a central type of government with limited voting and more importantly, a government with strong ties between the church and the state. On the other hand, the liberal side aimed for regional governments that would be more efficient in dealing with local issues, as well as universal voting and a separated state from the church.
In 1898, elections were held within the tensions between both parties. The conservative candidate Manuel Antonio Sanclemente was elected president, but the victory had been achieved through fraudulent elections. The liberals were naturally outraged, and more importantly, Sanclemente wasn’t a very loved figure among the people. By October of that year, the liberals started plotting against Sanclemente.
War outbroke in November of 1899 in the province of Santander, and soon other provinces followed after ravaging entire villages and forcing the displacement of thousands of refugees. After three years of civil unrest, thousands of lives lost, and an almost defeated liberal army, the Colombians were exhausted. Moderate liberals started developing treaties to bring the war to an end, and although they knew everything was lost, they wanted to take the honorable way out without having to surrender.
The Treaty of Neerlandia was signed in October 1902, in which both parties agreed on a cease-fire agreement including the disarming of the liberal side. One month later, war was finally over with the signing of a second treaty; however, the tensions between liberals and conservatives and the trauma of the people remained a constant for the years to come. In the 1940s, a second armed conflict known as La Violencia sparked once again, bringing back the horrors people had lived four decades before.
Why it wasn’t necessary to mention the specific conflict in Encanto?
The Thousand Days’ War alongside the many other armed conflicts that followed is well known to the people of Colombia. Many of these are even mentioned in internationally acclaimed novels such as 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (which also served as an influence for the movie). So, the visual representation of the conflict is sufficient enough to trigger the emotions and desolation that these events sparked.
Even for audiences outside Colombia, the image of the armed soldiers persecuting the people is strong enough to convey the message. Many people in Latin America could easily identify what was going on and even share the same sentiment placing any other set conflict within their own countries, and that applies as well to other nations who have been victims of colonization, oppression, and endless civil wars. At the end of the day, displacement, violence, and generational trauma are shared experiences for many countries, and not to name one specifically makes it more universal and identifiable.
Photos from: Disney Animation Studios
