Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, the territory was inhabited by the highly developed and sophisticated Chibca Indians. Spanish occupation began in the 17th century; it was consolidated in the viceroyalty of New Granada, which covered the northern part of South America, during the early 18th century. Discontent among various parts of the population – indigenous inhabitants, lower-class Spanish immigrants and mixed-race Creoles – with the arbitrary nature of colonial rule, eventually led to the 1819 rebellion under the legendary figure of Simon Bolivar. New Granada became
Gran Colombia, divided into four provinces (roughly equivalent to the four present-day countries of Colombia, Panama, Ecuador and Venezuela). Colombia separated from the others soon after Bolivar’s death in 1830. Political divisions focused on the extent of the future role of the Catholic Church; these differences were reflected politically in the formation of the Liberal and Conservative Parties and have played a major role in Colombian politics ever since.
The Republic of Colombia was formally established in 1855, four years after the abolition of slavery. Over the next 100 years, Colombian politics were dominated by the Conservative-Liberal feud, which often broke out into warfare. Periods of democratic government alternated with dictatorships. There were occasions, however, when the two parties were able to unite to see off a common threat. This occurred in 1970, when they joined forces to prevent a bid for power by the Alianza Nacional Popular (ANAPO), led by the former dictator, General Rojas. At a desperately close election in April 1970, which needed four recounts, Rojas was narrowly defeated by Dr Misael Pastrana Borrero, the candidate for the National Front alliance of Liberals and Conservatives.
The 1970 election was a turning point in Colombia’s recent history. Disaffected members of ANAPO formed a guerrilla movement known as Movimiento 19 de Abril (M-19), which initiated a 15-year-long guerrilla campaign against the government. They were soon joined in insurrection by two other left-wing groups, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC, Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces) and the Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN, National Liberation Army). While the three groups waged their campaigns with varying degrees of success, orthodox politics were taken over by the Conservative-Liberal duopoly. Meanwhile, a third potent force emerged during the 1980s, in the form of organized drug traffickers (known as cartels and identified generally by their cities of origin – hence ‘Cali cartel’, ‘Medellín cartel’). Their control of large sums of money now began to be turned into political power and leading politicians increasingly became tainted by their connections with drug money.
A number of right-wing paramilitary groups, variously associated with the traffickers and/or elements of the military and security forces, have also emerged to play an increasingly influential and brutal role in the conflict. In September 1989, M-19 formally gave up their armed struggle and committed themselves – unsuccessfully, in retrospect – to constitutional politics. Three years earlier, in 1986, the presidential election had been won by the Liberals under Virgilio Barco Vargas. The Liberals were victorious at the next two elections, giving the party 12 uninterrupted years in control of the Presidency. Vargas was succeeded by Cesar Gaviria and then by Ernesto Samper in 1994.
By 1998, the electorate had had enough of the Liberals and returned Andrés Pastrana, a conservative and former mayor of Bogotá (with a somewhat chequered record in office) standing under the banner of a Grand Alliance for Change. By now, the country was in the grip of the struggle between the government, traffickers, right-wing paramilitaries and left-wing guerrillas. Successive American governments, having marked Colombia down as the principal source of drugs flowing into the USA, put increasing pressure on the Colombians to prosecute the ‘war on drugs’. Meanwhile, the strategy of the leftist guerrillas concentrated on the creation of ‘liberated areas’, within which government forces are unable or unwilling to operate. The 15,000-strong FARC, the largest of the groups, negotiated a formal withdrawal by all government forces from a large area south of Bogota – effectively a ‘liberated zone’ – at the end of 1998. The US administration was infuriated by the agreement, which put the guerrillas in effective control of one-third of the country.
In 2000, the US Clinton administration unveiled ‘Plan Colombia’, a massive military support program, valued at US$1 billion, for the Colombian armed forces. Although portrayed as the latest phase of the ‘war on drugs’, it is clear that the program is essentially political and strategic – the objective is to destroy FARC and its allies. The Bush administration, which inherited ‘Plan Colombia’ after its victory at the November 2000 poll in the USA, endorsed the plan and, with some modifications, put it into operation. Its first effects became apparent the following year, when military forces retook part of the former ‘liberated zone’ after the breakdown of the agreement between FARC and the government. The new hard line adopted by the government was confirmed in May 2002, when the right-winger Alvaro Uribe, who favors all-out war against the left-wing guerrillas, won a comfortable victory at the presidential election. Uribe immediately declared a partial state of emergency, allowing to impose security measures by decree. The focus of the war has shifted somewhat since FARC launched attacks in cities from mid-2002 onwards. At the beginning of 2003, the war was ratcheted up another notch when American special forces troops became directly engaged for the first time in the eastern province of Arauca.
Government
The president is Head of State, elected by universal adult suffrage for a period of four years. The president appoints and is assisted by a Cabinet. The legislature is the bicameral Congress, consisting of a 102-member Senate and the 165-member House of Representatives. All members are elected by universal adult suffrage. The president and both houses of Congress serve four-year terms.
Economy Colombia’s economy has grown steadily over the past few years. Annual growth has increased from 3.75% in 2003 to 5.13% in 2005 and 7% in 2007. Inflation was at 5.5% in 2007, while unemployment levels are dropping, though still relatively high at 11.2%.
While coffee is Colombia’s main agricultural export, the country has significant mineral and energy resources, particularly coal and natural gas. According to current projections, Colombia is expected to continue exporting oil until 2010 or 2011.
In February 2006, Colombia signed a Free Trade Agreement with the USA, which was set to come into force in early 2008; however, it is still awaiting the approval of US Congress.
