140 likes | 590 Views
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.
E N D
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.
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.
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 • 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, 2010-2014?): many violence and economic indicators improve. • Paramilitary scandal (2006-2007)
Main Foreign Policy Challenges • 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.