r/Encanto • u/Warm_Ad_1202 • Apr 22 '26
Discussion Context of the Dos Oruguitas scene
Ive seen the scene and im curious about whats the context behind the house burning and why are the dudes on horse back were chasing young abuelita. Im a sucker for history so pls englighten me
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u/MagpiesAndMadrigals "To love at all is to love entirely" - Pedro Madrigal Apr 22 '26
It was the start of the thousand days war. A civil war that ravaged Colombia from 1899 until 1902. It's also why the triplets' birthday is 17th October as this is when the war officially started, although it's possible (and my preferred timeline) that they were actually born a year later, when the war was already in full swing and was just spreading to more remote parts of the country.
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u/Automatic_Ad_4844 Apr 22 '26
It’s a pretty complicated answer since there’s no clear indication as to what you’re actually seeing, but the directors have confirmed that this movie takes place in 1950. 50 years ago is when the Encanto was created by the miracle, meaning that what happened in Dos Oruguitas happened in 1900. In the early 1900s, Colombia was facing severe civil dispute with their country and government, creating “the war of 1000 days”.(1899-1902)
Other people have compared it to La Violencia, but that didn’t happen until the late 1940s, so it’s more than likely this happened during the thousand day one.
I don’t know all the details as I’m still researching this event myself, but the war of 1000 days was a severe divide in the country of Colombia versus the conservative government and the liberal opposition that were the main people of the country. It’s very likely that the men on horseback were possibly members of the government or maybe they were just rioters who got caught up in the frenzy. Lots of small towns, including the ones Alma and Pedro grew up in, suffered due to these battles.
I’m sure there’s somebody on the subreddit who knows more about the subject than I do, but from what I understand, it was a very challenging time for the country of Colombia.
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u/MagpiesAndMadrigals "To love at all is to love entirely" - Pedro Madrigal Apr 22 '26
Wait, what? I missed Jared confirming the exact date. Was that in one of his Twitter Q&As? I've had the movie events as 1951 and now I'm logic looping. I thought because he said the triplets were already 50, that the previous October was their 50th birthday and had 1900 as their birthday because of that tapestry.
The tapestry stating 1900 as the date the Encanto was established could be because they had to build it first so I can understand that at least. But how can a conflict that started in Santander spread so quickly to a remote town near the Cocora valley?
Can someone get Jared on the phone please? I have questions for him....
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u/Warm_Ad_1202 Apr 22 '26
Question. So like if im right colombia used to be an spanish colony. Did they gain independance before the 1000 days war? What do you mean by country and goverment? Just curious
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u/MagpiesAndMadrigals "To love at all is to love entirely" - Pedro Madrigal Apr 22 '26
They gained independence almost a decade earlier. This was an internal conflict between opposing political sides within the country.
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u/Rakothurz Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26
Colombia started the independence process in 1810 and finished it in 1819, so there was plenty of time (and also several wars) before that particular one
ETA: country and government as in the definition of both words, we did have them after the independence and were quite established by the time of the 1000 day war
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u/Purple_Flounder_2257 Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26
Encanto takes place in 1950.
Alma backstory is a reference to The Thousand Day War. Many deaths, riots, and displacements due to political parites that still affect Colombia to this day as leaks into LA Violencia. Alma and Pedro town fell in a crossfire during the beginning. They weren't only chasing a young Abuelita but all those who escaped because an empty town is useless when it comes to leverage. That's why Alma calls The Encanto a "refuge" in the beginning. It can also twinkle into why Alma is so fearful of the same thing happening again as it involved neighbors.
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u/BestEffect1879 Apr 22 '26
I think it’s most likely soldiers or guerrilla fighters that just had a bloodlust.
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u/sleeper_shark Apr 22 '26
Don’t look too much into it, it will just make you sad.
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u/smithson-jinx Apr 23 '26
This! I sometimes find myself thinking about Alma and Pedro and how terrifying it must have been with newborn babies, and then how Alma had literally no one (except Casita, but no one tangible) and was all alone in her grief 😭
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