López Michelsen Liberal — 'Mandato Claro' opening, 1974 tax reform

Doctrine — stated goals and content

First presidency after the end of the Frente Nacional power-sharing pact (1958-1974). Four doctrinal pillars: (1) 1974 tax reform (Decretos 2053-2247 de 1974) — emergency-powers package modernising income, property, and presumptive-income taxation; integrated corporate-personal tax; broadened base to agriculture; most ambitious tax reform in Colombian history before the 1990s; estimated revenue gain ~2.5% of GDP; (2) gradual trade and financial-sector opening — crawling-peg exchange-rate regime continued from 1967; 1974 financial law (Ley 55) deepened certificate of deposit market; capitalisations encouraged; (3) bonanza cafetera management — 1975-1977 coffee-price windfall (New York C prices tripled after 1975 Brazil frost) handled via Fondo Nacional del Café sterilisation and partial monetary accommodation; inflation rose from 17% to 28% (1977); (4) social reform attempt — "Mandato Claro" programme including child-nutrition (Food and Nutrition Plan PAN 1975), DRI rural-development programme, and open-negotiation constitutional-reform convocatoria (defeated by Supreme Court 1978). Stated school: Lopismo modernising-social- liberal tradition of Colombian Liberalism. Left-right axis: centre-left economic content with institutional-liberal openness. Popularity / legitimacy: April 1974 election López Michelsen won 56.3% vs Conservative Álvaro Gómez 31.4% and ANAPO María Eugenia Rojas 9.5% — first post-Frente alternation. Coherence line: trade Frente-Nacional institutional compromise for a modernised fiscal base and selective market opening within Colombian Liberal reformism.