RESUMENEl presente articulo hace un recorrido historico para analizar la inestabilidad politica durante el periodo del Frente Nacional (1958-1974) de alcaldes y gobernadores para la ciudad de Barranquilla y el departamento del Atlantico. En primera instancia consolida con base en informacion primaria la duracion de los respectivos periodos y posteriormente, basandose en fuentes primarias y secundarias analiza la situacion historica en que se dieron los cambios, para englobarlos en cuatro razones basicas: la division politica local, la perdida de respaldo politico por parte de un mandatario, crisis de la politica nacional refl ejada en la politica local y cambio de presidente o de gobernador.Palabras claveFrente Nacional, Inestabilidad politica, Cambio de gobernadores, Cambio de alcaldes.ABSTRACTThis article gives a historical overview to analyze the political instability during the period of the National Front (1958-1974) of mayors and governors for the city of Barranquilla and the Atlantico department. In the first stage of procceding, it consolidates the length of the respective periods based on primary information and then, based on primary and secondary sources, it analyzes the historical situation in which the changes occurred. All of this to group them into four basic reasons: local political division, the loss of political support by a leader, the national policy crisis refl ected in local politics and the change of president or governor.KeywordsNational Front, Political instability, Change of governors, Mayors exchange.