NationMaster - Encyclopedia: History of Colombia

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... While perhaps the last continent--except Antarctica-- to be inhabited by humans, South America has a history that spans the full range of human cultural and civilizational forms. ... This is a list of articles on the history of contemporary countries, states and dependencies. ...

[edit] Pre-Columbian period

About twelve thousand years ago hunter-gatherer societies existed near present-day Bogotá (at El Abra and Tequendama), and they traded with one another and with cultures living in the Magdalena River valley. Beginning in the first millennium CE, groups of Amerindians developed a political system, the cacicazgo, a pyramidal power structure headed by a cacique. Within Colombia, the two cultures with the most complex cacicazgo systems were the Tayronas in the Caribbean region, and the Muiscas in the highlands near Bogotá, both of which belonged to the Chibcha language family. The Muisca people had one of the most developed political systems in South America, surpassed only by the Incas. The Indigenous peoples in Colombia (pueblos indÃgenas in Spanish) comprise a large number of distinct ethnic groups who inhabited the countrys present territory prior to its discovery by Europeans around 1500. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Muisca_raft_Legend_of_El_Dorado_Offerings_of_gold. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Muisca_raft_Legend_of_El_Dorado_Offerings_of_gold. ... When the Spanish arrived in the central Colombia highlands, the region had two kings; the Zipa, was the ruler of the southern part including what is now known as BogotÃ¡. The Zaque was the ruler or king of the northern area in Hunza, known today as Tunja. ... El Dorado (Spanish for the gilded one) is a legend that began with the story of a South American tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and would dive into a lake of pure mountain water. ... In anthropology, the hunter-gatherer way of life is that led by certain societies of the Neolithic Era based on the exploitation of wild plants and animals. ... Map of the Magdalena River watershed. ... A Sioux in traditional dress including war bonnet, circa 1908. ... Cazigazgo is a phonetic anglicized form of Cacicazgo, the Spanish transliteration (or a derivative) of the TaÃno word for the lands ruled by a Cacique e. ... Cacique may be in reference to: Cacique is one the finest brands of rum produced in Venezuela. ... The Tairona were a precolumbian civilization in the region of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in the present-day Magdalena and La Guajira Departments of Colombia, South America which goes back to the 1st century AD and showed documented growth around in the 11th century. ... Caribbean Region The Caribbean Region or Caribbean Coast Region, is a regional sub-division of Colombia, composed of eight Departments located inside or around the Caribbean sea area pertaining to the country. ... The Zipa used to cover his body in gold and, from his raft, he offered treasures to the Guatavita godess in the middle of the sacred lake. ... Nickname: Motto: BogotÃ¡, 2600 metros mÃ¡s cerca de las estrellas BogotÃ¡, 2600 meters closer to the stars Localities (localidades) of BogotÃ¡ Country Colombia Department BogotÃ¡, D.C.* Foundation August 6, 1538 Government - Mayor Luis Eduardo GarzÃ³n, PDA Area - City 1,587 kmÂ² (612. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... For other meanings of Inca, see Inca (disambiguation). ...

[edit] Colonial times

The Spanish settled along the north coast of today's Colombia as early as 1500, but their first permanent settlement, at Santa Marta, was not established until 1525. In 1549, the institution of the Audiencia in Santa Fe de Bogotá gave that city the status of capital of New Granada, comprised in large part of what is now territory of Colombia. In 1717 the Viceroyalty of New Granada was originally created, and then it was temporarily removed, to finally be reestablished in 1739. The Viceroyalty had Santa Fé de Bogotá as its capital. This Viceroyalty included some other provinces of northwestern South America which had previously been under the jurisdiction of the Viceroyalties of New Spain or Peru and correspond mainly to today's Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama. So, Bogotá became one of the principal administrative centers of the Spanish possessions in the New World, along with Lima and Mexico City, though it remained somewhat backward compared to those two cities in several economic and logistical ways. Somebody write some actual info so i can do my project. An Real Audiencia (Spanish: Royal Audiency) was a Judicial District that functioned as an Appeals Court. ... Nickname: Motto: BogotÃ¡, 2600 metros mÃ¡s cerca de las estrellas BogotÃ¡, 2600 meters closer to the stars Localities (localidades) of BogotÃ¡ Country Colombia Department BogotÃ¡, D.C.* Foundation August 6, 1538 Government - Mayor Luis Eduardo GarzÃ³n, PDA Area - City 1,587 kmÂ² (612. ... New Kingdom of Granada Capital Santa Fe de BogotÃ¡ Language(s) Spanish Religion Roman Catholic Government Monarchy Historical era Spanish Empire - Established 16th century - Disestablished 1819 Currency Real The New Kingdom of Granada (Spanish: Nuevo Reino de Granada) was the name given to a group of 16th century Spanish colonial... The Viceroyalty of New Granada was the name given to a group of colonial provinces in northern South America, corresponding mainly to modern Colombia. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Nickname: Motto: BogotÃ¡, 2600 metros mÃ¡s cerca de las estrellas BogotÃ¡, 2600 meters closer to the stars Localities (localidades) of BogotÃ¡ Country Colombia Department BogotÃ¡, D.C.* Foundation August 6, 1538 Government - Mayor Luis Eduardo GarzÃ³n, PDA Area - City 1,587 kmÂ² (612. ... This article is about Lima, Peru. ... Nickname: Location of Mexico City in central Mexico Coordinates: Country Mexico Federal entity Federal District Boroughs The 16 delegaciones Founded (as Tenochtitlan) c. ...

[edit] Struggle for independence

On July 20, 1810, the citizens of Bogotá created the first representative council to defy Spanish authority, with full independence being proclaimed later in the year. A long Independence War, led mainly by Simón Bolívar and Francisco de Paula Santander in New Granada ended after the Battle of Boyaca, on August 7, 1819. That year, the Congress of Angostura established the Republic of Gran Colombia, which included all territories under jurisdiction of the Viceroyalty of New Granada. For more information, see Bolivar's War. July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: Motto: BogotÃ¡, 2600 metros mÃ¡s cerca de las estrellas BogotÃ¡, 2600 meters closer to the stars Localities (localidades) of BogotÃ¡ Country Colombia Department BogotÃ¡, D.C.* Foundation August 6, 1538 Government - Mayor Luis Eduardo GarzÃ³n, PDA Area - City 1,587 kmÂ² (612. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Francisco de Paula Santander (April 2, 1792 - May 6, 1840), was one of the military and political leaders during Colombias (then known as New Granada) independence struggle (1810-1819). ... Colombia, then known as New Granada, acquired its definitive independence from Spain at the Battle of Boyacá. A combined republican army of Colombians and Venezuelans was led during the campaign by the strategy of General Simón Bolívar. ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Angostura was the name of the town in Eastern Venezuela that was renamed Ciudad Bolívar in 1846. ... Gran Colombia Capital BogotÃ¡ Language(s) Spanish Religion Roman Catholic Government Republic History - Established December 17, 1819 - Disestablished November 19, 1831 Gran Colombia (Spanish for Great Colombia) is a name used today for the Republic of Colombia of the period 1819-1831. ... Bolívars War refers to a series of independence wars in South America from 1811 to 1825 led by the famous South American nationalist and general Simón Bolívar. ...

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 Ã— 960 pixel, file size: 234 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 Ã— 960 pixel, file size: 234 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Boyaca Brigde BoyacÃ¡ Bridge Spanish for Puente de BoyacÃ¡ is a bridge located 110 km east of BogotÃ¡ and 14 km west from Tunja in a valley. ... Colombia, then known as New Granada, acquired its definitive independence from Spain at the Battle of BoyacÃ¡. Brigadier Generals Francisco de Paula Santander and JosÃ© Antonio AnzoÃ¡tegui led a combined republican army of Colombians and Venezuelans, complemented by a small British Legion made up of mostly Irish volunteers (including...

[edit] The Republic

Bolívar was elected first president of Gran Colombia and Francisco de Paula Santander, vice president. Gran Colombia Capital BogotÃ¡ Language(s) Spanish Religion Roman Catholic Government Republic History - Established December 17, 1819 - Disestablished November 19, 1831 Gran Colombia (Spanish for Great Colombia) is a name used today for the Republic of Colombia of the period 1819-1831. ... Francisco de Paula Santander (April 2, 1792 - May 6, 1840), was one of the military and political leaders during Colombias (then known as New Granada) independence struggle (1810-1819). ...

As the Federation of Gran Colombia was dissolved in 1830, the Department of Cundinamarca (as established in Angostura) became a new country, the Republic of New Granada.

In 1863 the name of the Republic was changed officially to "United States of Colombia", and in 1886 the country adopted its present name: "Republic of Colombia".

Two political parties grew out of conflicts between the followers of Bolivar and Santander and their political visions -- the Conservatives and the Liberals -- and have since dominated Colombian politics. Bolívar's supporters, who later formed the nucleus of the Conservative Party, sought strong centralized government, alliance with the Roman Catholic Church, and a limited franchise. Santander's followers, forerunners of the Liberals, wanted a decentralized government, state rather than church control over education and other civil matters, and a broadened suffrage. Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Wycliffe Tyndale Â· Luther Â· Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Pope Â· Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box: The Roman Catholic Church...

Throughout the 19th century and early 20th century, each party held the presidency for roughly equal periods of time. Colombia maintained a tradition of civilian government and regular, free elections. The military has seized power three times in Colombia's history: in 1830, after the dissolution of Great Colombia; again in 1854; and from 1953 to 1957. Civilian rule was restored within one year in the first two instances.

Notwithstanding the country's commitment to democratic institutions, Colombia's history has also been characterized by widespread, violent conflict. Two civil wars resulted from bitter rivalry between the Conservative and Liberal parties. Thousand Days War (1899-1902) cost an estimated 100,000 lives, and up to 300,000 people died during "La Violencia" (The Violence) of the late 1940s and 1950s, a bipartisan confrontation which erupted after the assassination of Liberal popular candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán. Combatants Colombian Liberal Party Colombian Conservative Party Commanders Rafael Uribe Uribe BenjamÃn Herrera PrÃ³spero PinzÃ³n RamÃ³n GonzÃ¡lez Valencia Pedro Nel Ospina The Thousand Days War (1899-1902) (Spanish: Guerra de los Mil Dias), was a civil armed conflict in the newly created Republic of Colombia... La Violencia (literally The Violence, in Spanish) is a term that refers to an era of civil conflict in Colombia between supporters of the Colombian Liberal PartybobColombian Conservative Party, a conflict which took place roughly from 1948 to 1958 (exact dates vary). ... Jorge EliÃ©cer GaitÃ¡n (January 23, 1903 - April 9, 1948) was a politician, a leader of a populist movement in Colombia, a former Education Minister (1940) and Labor Minister (1943-1944), mayor of BogotÃ¡ (1936) and chief of the Colombian Liberal Party (1947-1948). ...

A military coup in 1953 toppled the right-wing government of Conservative Laureano Gómez and brought Gen. Gustavo Rojas Pinilla to power. Initially, Rojas enjoyed considerable popular support, due largely to his success in reducing "La Violencia." When he did not restore democratic rule and occasionally engaged in open repression, however, he was overthrown by the military in 1957 with the backing of both political parties, and a provisional government was installed. Laureano GÃ³mez Laureano Eleuterio GÃ³mez Castro (1889-1965) was President of Colombia from (1950-1953), and long time leader of the Colombian Conservative Party. ... Gustavo Rojas Pinilla was a former military dictator (1953-1957) and Colombian political figure, as well as a former 1966 and 1970 presidential candidate on behalf of the National Popular Alliance, Alianza Nacional Popular, (ANAPO). ... La Violencia (literally The Violence, in Spanish) is a term that refers to an era of civil conflict in Colombia between supporters of the Colombian Liberal PartybobColombian Conservative Party, a conflict which took place roughly from 1948 to 1958 (exact dates vary). ...

[edit] The National Front regime (1958-1974)

In July 1957, former Conservative President Laureano Gomez (1950-1953) and former Liberal President Alberto Lleras Camargo (1945-1946, 1958-1962) issued the "Declaration of Sitges," in which they proposed a "National Front," whereby the Liberal and Conservative parties would govern jointly. The presidency would be determined by an alternating conservative and liberal president every 4 years for 16 years; the two parties would have parity in all other elective offices. Alberto Lleras Camargo (1906 â€“ 1990) was a Colombian diplomat and political figure. ...

The National Front ended "La Violencia", and National Front administrations attempted to institute far-reaching social and economic reforms in cooperation with the Alliance for Progress. In the end, the contradictions between each successive Liberal and Conservative administration made the results decidedly mixed. Despite the progress in certain sectors, many social and political injustices continued. La Violencia (literally The Violence, in Spanish) is a term that refers to an era of civil conflict in Colombia between supporters of the Colombian Liberal PartybobColombian Conservative Party, a conflict which took place roughly from 1948 to 1958 (exact dates vary). ...

It is usually argued^{[citation needed]} that the Colombian Civil War started in 1964, which was when the FARC was founded and started their guerrilla insurgency. Colombian Armed Conflict or Colombian Civil War are terms that are employed to refer to the current low intensity conflict in Colombia that has been in existence since approximately 1964, which was when the FARC was founded and subsequently started its guerrilla insurgency against successive Colombian government administrations. ... The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombiaâ€“EjÃ©rcito del Pueblo or FARC-EP (Spanish for Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombiaâ€“Peoples Army) is Colombias oldest and largest guerrilla group, established in 1964-1966 as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party. ... Look up guerrilla in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The National Front system itself eventually began to be seen as a form of political repression by dissidents and even many mainstream voters, especially after what was apparently later confirmed as the fraudulent election of Misael Pastrana Borrero in 1970, which resulted in the defeat of the relatively populist candidate Gustavo Rojas Pinilla. The M-19 guerrilla movement, "Movimiento 19 de Abril" (19th of April Movement), would eventually be founded in part as a response to this particular event. Misael Pastrana Borrero was president of Colombia from 1970 to 1974. ... Gustavo Rojas Pinilla was a former military dictator (1953-1957) and Colombian political figure, as well as a former 1966 and 1970 presidential candidate on behalf of the National Popular Alliance, Alianza Nacional Popular, (ANAPO). ... M-19 banner The 19th of April Movement, Movimiento 19 de Abril or M-19, was a Colombian guerrilla movement. ...

Although the system established by the Sitges agreement was phased out by 1974, the 1886 Colombian constitution—in effect until 1991—required that the losing political party be given adequate and equitable participation in the government which, according to many observers and later analysis, eventually resulted in some increase in corruption and legal relaxation. The current 1991 constitution does not have that requirement, but subsequent administrations have tended to include members of opposition parties.

[edit] Post-National Front years

From 1974 until 1982, different presidential administrations chose to focus on ending the persistent insurgencies that sought to undermine Colombia's traditional political system. Both groups claimed to represent the poor and weak against the rich and powerful classes of the country, demanding the completion of true land and political reform, from an openly Communist perspective. An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority, by any irregular armed force that rises up against an enforced or established authority, government, or administration. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ...

By 1974, another challenge to the state's authority and legitimacy had come from the 19th of April Movement (M-19), a mostly urban guerrilla group founded allegedly in response to an electoral fraud during the final National Front election of Misael Pastrana Borrero (1970 -1974) and the defeat of former dictator Gustavo Rojas Pinilla. Initially, the M-19 attracted a degree of attention and sympathy from mainstream Colombians that the FARC and National Liberation Army (ELN) had found largely elusive earlier due to extravagant and daring operations, such as stealing a sword that had belong to Colombia's Independence hero Simon Bolívar. At the same time, its larger profile soon made it the focus of the state's counterinsurgency efforts. M-19 banner The 19th of April Movement, Movimiento 19 de Abril or M-19, was a Colombian guerrilla movement. ... Misael Pastrana Borrero was president of Colombia from 1970 to 1974. ... Gustavo Rojas Pinilla was a former military dictator (1953-1957) and Colombian political figure, as well as a former 1966 and 1970 presidential candidate on behalf of the National Popular Alliance, Alianza Nacional Popular, (ANAPO). ... EjÃ©rcito de LiberaciÃ³n Nacional (usually abbreviated to ELN), or National Liberation Army, is a revolutionary, Marxist, insurgent guerrilla group that has been operating in several regions of Colombia since 1964. ... SimÃ³n JosÃ© Antonio de la SantÃsima Trinidad BolÃvar y Palacios (July 24, 1783 â€“ December 17, 1830) was a South American revolutionary leader. ...

The ELN guerrilla had been seriously crippled by military operations in the region of Anorí by 1974, but it managed to reconstitute itself and escape destruction, in part due to the administration of Alfonso López Michelsen (1974-1978) allowing it to escape encirclement, hoping to initiate a peace process with the group. Alfonso LÃ³pez Michelsen (b. ...

By 1982, the perceived passivity of the FARC, together with the relative success of the government's efforts against the M-19 and ELN, enabled the administration of the Liberal Party's Julio César Turbay Ayala (1978-1982) to lift a state-of-siege decree that had been in effect, on and off, for most of the previous 30 years. Under the latest such decree, president Turbay had implemented security policies that, though of some military value against the M-19 in particular, were considered highly questionable both inside and outside Colombian circles due to numerous accusations of military human rights abuses against suspects and captured guerrillas. Julio CÃ©sar Turbay Ayala (June 18, 1916 â€“ September 13, 2005) was president of Colombia from 1978 to 1982, as a member (and later leader) of the Colombian Liberal Party. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Human rights violation. ...

Citizen exhaustion due to the conflict's newfound intensity led to the election of president Belisario Betancur (1982-1986), a Conservative who won 47% of the popular vote, directed peace feelers at all the insurgents, and negotiated a 1984 cease-fire with the FARC and M-19 after a 1982 release of many guerrillas imprisoned during the previous effort to overpower them. The ELN rejected entering any negotiation and continued to recover itself through the use of extortions and threats, in particular against foreign oil companies of European and U.S. origin. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

As these events were developing, the growing illegal drug trade and its consequences were also increasingly becoming a matter of widespread importance to all participants in the Colombian conflict. Guerrillas and newly wealthy druglords had mutually uneven relations and thus numerous incidents occurred between them. Eventually the kidnapping of drug cartel family members by guerrillas led to the creation of the 1981 Muerte a Secuestradores (MAS) death squad ("Death to Kidnappers"). Pressure from the U.S. government and critical sectors of Colombian society was met with further violence, as the Medellín Cartel and its hitmen, bribed or murdered numerous public officials, politicians and others who stood in its way by supporting the implementation of extradition of Colombian nationals to the U.S. Victims of cartel violence included Justice Minister Rodrigo Lara Bonilla, assassinated in 1984, an event which made the Betancur administration begin to directly oppose the druglords. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The MedellÃn Cartel was a well-organized network of drug smugglers originating in the city of MedellÃn in Colombia and operating through the 1970s and 1980s. ... Extradition is the official process by which one nation or state requests and obtains from another nation or state the surrender of a suspected or convicted criminal. ... Rodrigo Lara Bonilla was from Neiva 100 miles from Bogata. ...

The first negotiated cease-fire with the M-19 ended when the guerrillas resumed fighting in 1985, claiming that the cease-fire had not been fully respected by official security forces, saying that several of its members had suffered threats and assaults, and also questioning the government's real willingness to implement any accords. The Betancur administration in turn questioned the M-19's actions and its commitment to the peace process, as it continued to advance high profile negotiations with the FARC, which led to the creation of the Patriotic Union (Colombia) (UP), a legal and non-clandestine political organization. The UniÃ³n PatriÃ³tica, Patriotic Union (UP), was a leftist Colombian political party founded by the FARC in 1985, as part of the peace negotiations that the guerrillas held with the Belisario Betancur administration. ...

On November 6, 1985, the M-19 stormed the Colombian Palace of Justice and held the Supreme Court magistrates hostage, intending to put president Betancur on trial. In the ensuing crossfire that followed the military's reaction, scores of people lost their lives, as did most of the guerrillas, including several high-ranking operatives. Both sides blamed each other for the outcome. November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Palace of Justice siege was a 1985 attack against the Supreme Court of Colombia, in which members of the M-19 guerrilla group took over the Palace of Justice in BogotÃ¡, Colombia, and held the Supreme Court hostage, intending to hold a trial against Colombian President Belisario Betancur. ...

Meanwhile, individual FARC members initially joined the UP leadership in representation of the guerrilla command, though most of the guerrilla's chiefs and militiamen did not demobilize nor disarm, as that was not a requirement of the process at that point in time. Tension soon significantly increased, as both sides began to accuse each other of not respecting the cease-fire. Political violence against FARC and UP members (including presidential candidate Jaime Pardo Leal) was blamed on druglords and also on members of the security forces (to a much lesser degree on the argued inaction of Betancur administration). Members of the government and security authorities increasingly accused the FARC of continuing to recruit guerrillas, as well as kidnapping, extorting and politically intimidating voters even as the UP was already participating in politics. Jaime Pardo Leal (died October 11, 1987) was the Presidential candidate of the Patriotic Union, Colombia for the 1986 elections. ...

The Virgilio Barco Vargas (1986-1990) administration, in addition to continuing to handle the difficulties of the complex negotiations with the guerrillas, also inherited a particularly chaotic confrontation against the druglords, who were engaged in a campaign of terrorism and murder in response to government moves in favor of their extradition overseas. The UP also suffered an increasing number of losses during this term (including the assassination of presidential candidate Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa), which stemmed both from private proto-paramilitary organizations, increasingly powerful druglords and a number of would-be paramilitary-sympathizers within the armed forces. Virgilio Barco Vargas (September 17, 1921 - May 20, 1997) was a politician and diplomat from Colombia. ... Terrorist redirects here. ... Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa (born in 1956 in Manizales, Caldas - â€ died in BogotÃ¡, Cundinamarca on March 22, 1990) was a Colombian politician member of the Colombian Communist Party. ... A paramilitary organization is a group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion. ...

[edit] Post 1990

Following administrations had to contend with the guerrillas, paramilitaries, narcotics traffickers and the violence and corruption that they all perpetuated, both through force and negotiation. Narcoterrorists assassinated three presidential candidates before César Gaviria Trujillo was elected in 1990. Since the death of Medellín cartel leader Pablo Escobar in a police shootout during December 1993, indiscriminate acts of violence associated with that organization have abated as the "cartels" have broken up into multiple, smaller and often-competing trafficking organizations. Nevertheless, violence continues as these drug organizations resort to violence as part of their operations but also to protest against government policies, including extradition. Term of office: August 7, 1990 â€“ August 7, 1994 Preceded by: Virgilio Barco Vargas Succeeded by: Ernesto Samper Pizano Date of birth: March 31, 1947 Place of birth: Pereira, Colombia First Lady: Ana Milena MuÃ±oz de Gaviria Political party: Liberal CÃ©sar Gaviria Trujillo (born March 31, 1947) is... Nickname: Location of the city (urban in red) and municipality (dark gray) of Medellin in Antioquia Department. ... Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (December 1, 1949 â€“ December 2, 1993) gained world infamy as a Colombian drug dealer. ...

The M-19 and several smaller guerrilla groups were successfully incorporated into a peace process as the 1980s ended and the 90s began, which culminated in the elections for a Constituent Assembly of Colombia that would write a new constitution, which took effect in 1991. The new Constitution, brought about a considerable number of institutional and legal reforms based on principles that the delegates considered as more modern, humanist, democratic and politically open than those existent under the previous 1886 constitution. Practical results were mixed and controversies emerged (such as the debate surrounding the constitutional prohibition of extradition, which later was reversed), but together with the reincorporation of some of the guerrilla groups to the legal political framework, the new Constitution inaugurated an era that was both a continuation and a gradual, but significant, departure from what had come before. The Constituent Assembly of Colombia (Spanish: Asamblea Nacional Constituyente de Colombia) was formed on February 5, 1991, to draft Colombias 1991 constitution. ...

Contacts with the FARC, which had irregularly continued despite the generalized de facto interruptions of the ceasefire and the official 1987 break from negotiations, were temporarily cut off in 1990 under the presidency of César Gaviria Trujillo (1990-1994). The Colombian Army's assault on the FARC's Casa Verde sanctuary at La Uribe, Meta, followed by a FARC offensive that sought to undermine the deliberations of the Constitutional Assembly, began to highlight a significant break in the uneven negotiations carried over from the previous decade. De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without... Term of office: August 7, 1990 â€“ August 7, 1994 Preceded by: Virgilio Barco Vargas Succeeded by: Ernesto Samper Pizano Date of birth: March 31, 1947 Place of birth: Pereira, Colombia First Lady: Ana Milena MuÃ±oz de Gaviria Political party: Liberal CÃ©sar Gaviria Trujillo (born March 31, 1947) is... La Uribe is a town and municipality in the Meta Department, Colombia. ... Motto: Capital Villavicencio Governor Area 85,635 kmÂ² Population - Total (2003) - Density 771,089 9 people/kmÂ² Adjective The Meta is a department of Colombia. ...

President Ernesto Samper Pizano assumed office in August 1994. However, a political crisis relating to large-scale contributions from drug traffickers to Samper's presidential campaign diverted attention from governance programs, thus slowing, and in many cases, halting progress on the nation's domestic reform agenda. The military also suffered several setbacks in its fight against the guerrillas, when several of its rural bases began to be overrun and a record number of soldiers and officers were taken prisoner by the FARC (which since 1982 was attempting to implement a more "conventional" style of warfare, seeking to eventually defeat the military in the field). Categories: Stub | Presidents of Colombia | 1950 births ...

On August 7, 1998, Andrés Pastrana Arango was sworn in as the President of Colombia. A member of the Conservative Party, Pastrana defeated Liberal Party candidate Horacio Serpa in a run-off election marked by high voter turn-out and little political unrest. The new president's program was based on a commitment to bring about a peaceful resolution of Colombia's longstanding civil conflict and to cooperate fully with the United States to combat the trafficking of illegal drugs. August 7 is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Order: 42nd President Vice President: Gustavo Bell Lemus Term of office: August 7, 1998 â€“ August 7, 2002 Preceded by: Ernesto Samper Succeeded by: Ãlvaro Uribe Date of birth: August 17, 1954 Place of birth: BogotÃ¡ First Lady: Nohra Puyana de Pastrana Political party: Conservative AndrÃ©s Pastrana Arango (born August...

While early initiatives in the Colombian peace process gave reason for optimism, the Pastrana administration also has had to combat high unemployment and other economic problems, such as the fiscal deficit and the impact of global financial instability on Colombia. During his administration, unemployment has risen to over 20%. Additionally, the growing severity of countrywide guerrilla attacks by the FARC and ELN, and smaller movements, as well as the growth of drug production, corruption and the spread of even more violent paramilitary groups such as the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) has made it difficult to solve the country's problems. The AUCs logo The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, or AUC, in Spanish), were formed in April 1997 as an umbrella paramilitary federation seeking to consolidate many local and regional paramilitary groups in Colombia, each intending to protect different local economic, social and political...

Although the FARC and ELN accepted participation in the peace process, they did not make explicit commitments to end the conflict. The FARC suspended talks in November 2000, to protest what it called "paramilitary terrorism" but returned to the negotiating table in February 2001, following 2 days of meetings between President Pastrana and FARC leader Manuel Marulanda. The Colombian Government and ELN in early 2001 continued discussions aimed at opening a formal peace process.

[edit] Plan Colombia

No single explanation fully addresses the deep roots of Colombia's present-day troubles, but they include limited government presence in large areas of the interior, the expansion of illicit drug cultivation, endemic violence, and social inequities. In order to confront these challenges, the Pastrana administration unveiled its Plan Colombia in late 1999, an integrated strategy to deal with these longstanding, mutually reinforcing problems. Plan Colombia is a controversial initiative aimed at resolving the ongoing, fifty-year civil war in Colombia. ...

The main stated objectives of the original Plan Colombia were to promote peace, combat the narcotics industry, revive the Colombian economy, improve respect for human rights, and strengthen the democratic and social institutions of the country. Colombia planned to finance US$4 billion of the estimated US$7.5 billion overall cost, most of which would go towards the social portion of the project, but was ultimately unable to do so due to the state's 1997-1998 economic crisis.

The United States approved a US$1.3 billion assistance package, mostly of military and counternarcotics nature, but also including a small amount of social aid. The Colombian Government sought additional support from the IFIs, the European Union, and other countries, with the intention of financing the social component of the original plan, but met with little cooperation as the would-be donors considered that the U.S. approved aid represented an undue military slant and additionally lacked the will to spend such amounts of money.

After the eventual breakup of the peace negotiations, which had been stalled numerous times and finally ended due to a guerrilla kidnapping of a congressman and other political figures, the Caguán demilitarized zone was terminated by the Pastrana administration.

Soon after that, in May 2002, the former liberal politician of conservative leanings Álvaro Uribe Vélez, whose father had been killed by left-wing guerrillas, was sworn in as Colombian president. He immediately began taking action to crush the FARC, ELN, and AUC, including the employment of citizen informants to help the police and armed forces track down suspected members in all three armed groups. Order: 43rd President Vice President: Francisco Santos CalderÃ³n Term of office: August 7, 2002 â€“ Present Preceded by: AndrÃ©s Pastrana Succeeded by: Incumbent Date of birth: July 4, 1952 Place of birth: MedellÃn First Lady: Lina Moreno de Uribe Political party: Independent Ãlvaro Uribe VÃ©lez (born July...

In the fall of 2002, the administration released the much-awaited Colombian national security strategy, entitled Democratic Security and Defense Policy. The Plan fit within the broader social, economic, and political goals of Plan Colombia. Though much attention has been focused on the security and military aspects of Colombia's situation, the administration also is spending significant time on issues such as expanding international trade, supporting alternate means of development, and reforming Colombia's judicial system.

[edit] Recent developments

As of 2004, two years after its implementation began, the security situation of inside Colombia has shown some measure of an improvement and the economy, while still fragile, has also shown some positive signs according to observers, but relatively little has yet to have been accomplished in structurally solving most of the country's other grave problems, possibly in part due to legislative and political conflicts between the administration and the Colombian Congress (including those over the controversial project to eventually re-elect Uribe), and a relative lack of freely allocated funds and credits. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Some critical observers consider that Uribe's policies, while admittedly reducing crime and guerrilla activity, might be too slanted in favor of a military solution to Colombia's internal war, neglecting grave social and human rights concerns to a certain extent. They ask for Uribe's government to change this position and make serious efforts towards improving the human rights situation inside the country, protecting civilians and reducing any abuses committed by the armed forces.

Uribe's supporters in turn believe that increased military action is a necessary prelude to any serious negotiation attempt with the guerrillas and that the increased security situation will help to, in the long term, focus more actively on reducing most wide-scale abuses and human rights violations on the part of both the armed groups and any rogue security forces that might have links to the paramilitaries. In short, that the security situation must be stabilized in favor of the government before any other social concerns can take precedence.

With such conflicting perspectives, it can be argued that a certain polarization between both supporters and opponents of President Uribe seems to be forming both inside and outside the country. Uribe was reelected in 2006 after a change in the constitution allowed presidents to be reelected.

[edit] See also

The Viceroyalty of New Granada was the name given to a group of colonial provinces in northern South America, corresponding mainly to modern Colombia. ... Gran Colombia Capital BogotÃ¡ Language(s) Spanish Religion Roman Catholic Government Republic History - Established December 17, 1819 - Disestablished November 19, 1831 Gran Colombia (Spanish for Great Colombia) is a name used today for the Republic of Colombia of the period 1819-1831. ...

[edit] External links

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Encyclopedia > History of Colombia

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