Transcript Colombia (Powerpoint Slides)

Colombia
A primer
(with some emphasis
on foreign policy)
Daniel Gomez Gaviria
Geography
• Borders with
Panama,
Venezuela, Brazil,
Peru, Ecuador.
• Coast over the
Pacific and the
Caribbean.
Geography
• Fragmented
territory.
• Poor infrastructure.
• Deep jungles.
Weather
Regional diversity
Political structure
Politics
• Two main parties dominated most of the past
century: liberal, conservative.
• National Front: alternation of power.
• Constitutional assembly of 1991 and new
Constitution.
• Now: fragmented parties, new parties, many
independents.
Economy
Recent History
• Jorge Eliecer Gaitan,La Violencia (1950s)
• El Frente Nacional (1958-1974)
• The Guerrilla movements: FARC (1964),
ELN(1965), EPL(1967), M-19 (1974), Quintin
Lame (1984).
• Import Substitution, Protectionism, smuggling
routes (1960s).
• The Drug trade (1970s, mariguana; 1980s,
cocaine)
• Paramilitaries, AUC(1990s)
Recent History 2
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War on Drugs (1986-1994)
Constitution of 1991
Trade liberalization of the 1990s
Failed peace process (1998-2002) and Plan
Colombia. Colombia, a failed state?
• Alvaro Uribe (2002-2006, 2006-2010, 20102014?): many violence and economic
indicators improve.
• Paramilitary scandal (2006-2007)
The Colombian Armed Conflict
Main Foreign Policy Challenges
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Human Rights; labor rights.
Relationship with Neighbors.
FTAs and diversification of trade partners.
War on Drugs, internal conflict and US military
Aid.
• Domestic issues are tightly linked to foreign
relations.