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Colombia

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Last reviewed: 02 June 2009

Country information

Map of Colombia

COLOMBIA TODAY

Country Facts

Full country name: Republic of Colombia
Area: 1,141,748 sq km
Population: 42,090,503
Capital City: Bogotá (population: 6.9 million)
People: Colombia is an ethnic melting pot in which some 60% acknowledge that they have mixed Spanish/indigenous roots, 20% claim direct European descent, 18% are of Afro-Colombian origin, and 2% belong to indigenous communities. There are tiny Christian and Muslim Arab minorities, small and declining Jewish communities in the major cities, and a small group claiming Romany roots.
Language: Spanish with some isolated pockets where indigenous languages remain in use.
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic, with some evangelical influences in parts of the country.
Currency: Peso.
Major political parties: The 2 major political parties are the Liberals and the Conservatives. President Uribe stood for the 'Primero Colombia' movement (dissident Liberal). In addition, there are the following parties: Polo Democrático, Movimiento Cristiano, Movimiento Nacional Progresista (MNP) and recently some small independent parties are emerging. The Conservatives opted not to field a candidate in the 2002 Presidential elections.
Government: Democratically elected representative system with a strong executive.
Legislature: Bicameral Congress; 102 member Senate and 165 member Chamber of Deputies are both directly elected for 4-year terms.
Head of State: President Alvaro Uribe Vélez
Foreign Minister: Jaime Bermudez
Membership of international groupings/organisations: Colombia is a member of the Andean Community, UN, G3, Organisation of American States (OAS), Latin American Integration Association (ALADI), Latin American Economic System (SELA), Association of Caribbean States (ACS), the Caribbean Development Bank, Andean Development Corporation (CAF), and the Inter-American Development Bank (AIDB) amongst others.

Health

The health sector underwent considerable reform in the 1990s, with a social security system established in 1993. Colombia aims to ensure universal health coverage through a mix of contributory and subsidised health schemes using both public and private sectors. By the end of 2004, 14.7 million people were covered by the contributory scheme and 15.4 million under the subsidised programme. But adequate funding is a problem.

Colombia has significantly reduced the population growth rate from 3.1% per year in the early 1960s to 1.6% in 2004.

Life expectancy at birth, total (years): 72.6
Mortality rate under-5 (per 1,000 births): 20.5

ECONOMY

Basic Economic Facts

GDP: US$214.7 billion (est 2008)
GDP per head: US$4,979 (est 2008)
Annual Growth: 2.59% (2008)
Inflation: 7.67% (est 2008)
Unemployment: 10.6% (2007)
Major Industries: Oil, Mining, Construction, Financial Sector, Agriculture, Manufacturing and Transport
Major trading partners: US, Venezuela, other Andean Countries, Mexico, Brazil, EU and China.
Value of UK exports to Colombia: £140 million (2007)
Value of UK imports from Colombia: £370 million (2007)
Whist the well publicised security issues in Colombia can be a deterrent to companies to do business there, many well-known companies operate there and do so very profitably.

Despite years of violence, Colombia has managed to maintain long-term sustainable growth and remains one of the larger economies in Latin America. Crude oil, coal, coffee and cut flowers are Colombia's principal legal exports.

Whilst the government of Alvaro Uribe has strengthened the country's macroeconomic stability and improved its long term potential, the hoped-for structural reforms in the areas of taxation, pensions and labour laws have not yet materialised.

Security, by and large, tends to be a manageable risk.  More problematic to most businesses operating there, however, is often instability of the legal and tax frameworks, to which frequent changes are made, therefore making medium to long term planning very difficult.

In February 2006, the Colombians signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US which was expected to take effect from early 2008, if ratified by the US Congress. This is aimed at providing a stimulus for the economy, as business – both national and international – will look to capitalise on the immediate duty free access to the vast US market for 99.9% of all Colombian products that the agreement will provide. However, there has also been debate over whether the FTA will impact adversely on more sensitive sectors of the economy such as sugar, chicken and rice. Democratic members of the US Congress have delayed ratification of the FTA, due to concerns about the human rights situation in Colombia.

Colombia is a member the CAN bloc of countries (Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia), with whom the EU started negotiations in 2007 for an EU-CAN association agreement.

HISTORY

Before Spanish rule, Colombia was populated by indigenous peoples. Most were hunters or nomadic agriculturists, but one part of the country, the high basins of the Eastern Cordillera, was densely occupied by Chibcha Indians who had become sedentary farmers.

1525 First permanent Spanish settlement at Santa Marta by Rodrigo de Bastidas.
1810 Colombia declares its independence from Spanish rule.
1819 Republic of Gran Colombia (embracing the present republics of Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador) is proclaimed following successful campaign waged by Simon Bolivar in the early 1800s.
1948 Assassination of popular Liberal leader, Jorge Eliecer Gaitan, provokes serious rioting in Bogotá. Several thousand are killed.
1948-58 Conflict between Liberal and Conservative Party supporters spreads to rural areas. As many as 200,000 are killed during this period, known as 'La Violencia'.
1957 Colombia's only military dictator during the 20th Century, General Rojas Pinilla, is ousted after 4 years in power.
1958 Liberal and Conservative parties agree power-sharing arrangement (National Front) which formally runs until 1974.

Recent History

Mid-1960s Colombia's 2 main guerrilla groups, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN), are established
1980s Medellin and Cali drug cartels consolidate their control of the drugs trade. Paramilitary groups, hired initially for self-defence purposes, emerge as a significant force.
1982 Belisario Betancur (Conservative) becomes President. Takes first serious steps towards a negotiated settlement of guerrilla conflicts.
1985 FARC establishes political party, Patriotic Union (UP), thousands of its members killed by illegal armed groups over the next decade. M-19 takes over Palace of Justice in Bogotá; army recaptures building, but over 100 are killed, including 11 senior judges.
1989-90 Big increase in drug-related violence. Medellin Cartel, opposed to extradition, assassinates Luis Carlos Galan, favourite to win Liberal Party presidential nomination in 1990 and kills 200 policemen in Medellin. President Barco (1986-90) appeals to international community for support in his struggle against narco-traffickers.
1990 After long and difficult negotiations, M-19 guerrillas demobilise and establish a democratic political movement.
1991 Constituent Assembly (with former-guerrillas well represented) drafts new constitution.
1991-92 Various rounds of peace talks between government of President Gaviria (1990-94) and FARC and ELN guerrillas fail to make headway.
1993 Pablo Escobar, infamous head of the Medellin drug cartel, killed by police in Medellin.
1994-1998 Administration of President Samper (Liberal) dogged by drug-related corruption scandals. But progress is made in dismantling Cali-drug cartel. FARC and ELN guerrillas show little interest in negotiating with Samper government.
1998 Andres Pastrana (Conservative, but standing as an independent) wins Presidential elections.
2002 President Pastrana breaks off three-year old peace talks with FARC, and terminates their demilitarised zone. Peace talks with ELN break down and attempts to restart them stall.
2002 Alvaro Uribe (dissident Liberal, standing for independent Primero Colombia Movement) wins Presidential elections. Inaugurated 7 August, amidst a mortar attack perpetrated by the FARC.

2003 Formal peace talks between the Government and the United Paramilitary Groups (AUC) initiated in July, 7 months after the AUC announced a unilateral ceasefire. This agreement commits the AUC to demobilise completely by the end of 2005.
2005 Negotiations between the AUC and the government continue. On 22 July the Justice and Peace law is passed and becomes the legal framework to accompany the demobilisation process.
2006 On 18 April the Colombian Government announced that the demobilisation process of the AUC had been completed.
2006 In May President Alvaro Uribe secures a second, 4-year term.
2008 French-Colombian former Presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, plus other US and Colombian FARC hostages, freed by Colombian military operation.

BBC News Country TimeLine: Colombia

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Relations with Neighbours

Colombia's relations with other countries in Latin America are generally good. An unresolved territorial dispute persists with Venezuela, as does an island dispute with Nicaragua, though these are not impacting significantly on bilateral relations. Relations with Ecuador remain frosty, following a Colombian Army incursion into Ecuadorean territory in March 2008 to kill a leading FARC operative. All of Colombia's neighbours suffer from the overspill of the drugs problem.

Relations with the International Community

Colombia has strong economic relations with the US, EU and support from the International Community in its peace processes. The UN maintains a large presence in Bogotá dealing with human rights, displacement, drugs and crime, health and labour issues.

The US provides considerable financial assistance to Colombia's security and counter-narcotics policies through 'Plan Colombia'. The Organisation of American States (OAS) provided monitoring support for the process of paramilitary demobilisation, and the conduct of elections.

Relations with the UK

UK Policy and Assistance towards Colombia

Under the Presidency of Alvaro Uribe, Colombia has made significant progress, with reduced levels of violence, and a prosperous economy – but the challenges remain huge. The internal conflict in Colombia, fuelled by the illegal drugs trade, continues to cause high levels of violence, murder, kidnappings and human rights abuses.

The UK is helping President Uribe’s government with the essential tasks of working for lasting peace in Colombia, tackling the narco-traffickers, and ensuring that the basic human rights of all Colombians are respected. We welcome the political commitment the Colombian Government is devoting to tackling the serious problems the country faces. But we remain concerned about the level of human rights abuses. We express our concerns on human rights frankly and often with our Colombian counterparts, both bilaterally and with EU partners.

On 30 March the Foreign Secretary issued a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament, outlining changes to the way we deliver our objectives in Colombia.  We believe that these changes will enable us to carry out our programme of assistance to Colombia as effectively as possible.  We will focus on areas of specific concern, such as tackling the flow of drugs from Colombia to the UK, improving the difficult human rights situation, supporting human rights defenders and other members of civil society, and addressing the on-going problem of impunity in the criminal justice system. 

Human Rights

The human rights situation in Colombia continues to cause significant concern. Ordinary Colombians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict. A wide range of Colombians, including human rights defenders, trade unionists, journalists, teachers and indigenous communities, continue to be the target of threats, intimidation, kidnappings, murders and forced displacement.

The UK’s constructive but not uncritical relationship with the Colombian government enables us to raise our concerns frankly.  FCO Minister Gillian Merron met the Colombian Vice President, Foreign Minister and Ambassador several times in 2008, and raised various human rights concerns, including the on-going problem of abuses committed by members of the Colombian Armed Forces.  The Foreign Secretary raised human rights during his meeting with President Uribe in the margins of the UN General Assembly in September 2007, and with the Colombian Foreign Minister in October 2008 and May 2009. 

For further details please see the statements issued by FCO Ministers about Colombia in 2008.

FCO Minister Gillian Merron’s speech on human rights in Colombia, 11 May 2009.

We frequently raise, and follow up on, individual human rights cases of particular concern at the highest level and regularly remind the Colombian government of its human rights obligations. We make a point of showing visible support, both bilaterally and with EU and international partners, to non governmental organisations (NGOs) which have been threatened by illegal armed groups, by visiting their offices and communities under threat. We also reinforce the message with the authorities at a local and national level that they must properly protect those under threat and thoroughly investigate acts of intimidation and violence.

In October 2008 the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), Navi Pillay, visited Colombia.  She discovered “persistent and deeply entrenched human rights challenges”, but remarked on the Government’s progress in tackling some of these challenges.  We agree with successive reports of the Office of the UNHCHR that most human rights abuses are committed by illegal armed groups.  However, some parts of the Colombian Armed Forces continue to be implicated in human rights abuses. We have made it plain to the Colombian government that all human rights abuses must be dealt with, regardless of who commits them. We strongly support the work of the UN to help tackle human rights issues. We regularly urge the Colombian government to implement all outstanding UN human rights recommendations, and we fund a number of projects to strengthen this process.  These aim to provide the Colombian government and civil society with the tools to systematically address the human rights situation.

In December 2008 Colombia underwent a Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva  – a process undergone by all UN Member States.  The UK, working with civil society organisations, compiled a list of questions and recommendations that we delivered to Colombia in advance of the Review. Our recommendations, which were adopted in full by Colombia, focused on the role of civil society organisations in Colombia, and their relationship with the Colombian Government; the activities of illegal armed groups; internal displacement and poverty; and human rights abuses attributed to Colombia’s armed forces. 

A fuller assessment of the human rights situation in Colombia can be found in the 2008 FCO Human Rights report.

Drugs

The drug trade fuels the armed conflict in Colombia, contributing directly to gross violations of human rights, significant environmental damage and untold misery in Colombia, the UK and elsewhere. Much of the cocaine sold on UK streets is produced in Colombia.

Specific Areas of UK Assistance

Click here for a full schedule of UK projects on-going in Colombia - Colombia: UK Project Activity Report 2009-10 [new window, 40.5KB].

Counter-Narcotics Assistance

We are determined to reduce the damage caused by illegal drugs to people in both the UK and Colombia, and will continue with our effective and important work in this area.  Cocaine has a damaging impact on UK communities.  Much of this cocaine comes from Colombia. 

The UK works in Colombia, and indeed elsewhere in Latin America, to help put the narco-traffickers in jail, seize shipments of cocaine destined for the UK and other markets, and seize the proceeds of these crimes.  This is vital work, strictly controlled and in the UK’s clear national interests, that we must continue.  It is also very dangerous work, and discussing publicly any aspect of it, including its cost, risks putting the lives of British and Colombian staff in danger. 

Alongside this work, we have also provided over £900,000 to support projects through the UN Office of Drugs and Crime.

Impunity

The problem of impunity in Colombia remains one of particular concern.  Those guilty of human rights and other crimes often do not receive justice for their actions, which in turn provides no deterrent for those considering committing criminal acts.  We have therefore allocated £250,000 for projects focused on helping to strengthen the Colombian judicial system. 

Human Rights Assistance

We will provide over £1,000,000 over the next few years for project work focusing on human rights.  Our particular emphasis will be on strengthening civil society, promoting freedom of expression and other democratic standards, and supporting the vital work of human rights organisations.  We also continue to work with the Trades Union Congress to look at opportunities to strengthen labour relations in Colombia.  I attach a list of our ongoing projects.

The UK’s bilateral human rights project - high-level strategic advice and workshops for trainers and senior Colombian defence officers on international humanitarian law, rules of engagement and the embedding of civilian defence management with the Colombian Armed Forces - has ceased.  We have achieved our objective of helping the Colombian government develop a roadmap to promote their military’s adherence to international humanitarian law.  We have also strongly criticised the Colombian military’s involvement in abuses, and the challenge for them now is to ensure that their soldiers adhere consistently to international humanitarian law.  We will continue to contribute where we can to international and United Nations work to help the Colombian Armed Forces adhere consistently to human rights norms and values. 

De-mining Assistance

A recent report by the International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed that Colombia remains one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. Our engagement on humanitarian demining in Colombia is being integrated alongside international governmental and non-governmental partners. 

DFID assistance

Through DfID, the UK channels most of its development assistance via international organisations, primarily the UN, the EU, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and international NGOs. DfID’s regional assistance programme for Latin America is supporting the 2 largest donors, the IADB and the World Bank, to improve the effectiveness of their programmes in the region. The UK provides a significant percentage of the European Commission’s aid programme to Colombia, which in 2007-11 will total €104m in funding, with another €56m in 2011-13. Priority areas are: peace and stability, including alternative development (70%); rule of law, justice and human rights (20%); and productivity, competition and trade (10%).

In addition, DfID provides grants to a number of international NGOs who are active in Colombia (£13 million for the Latin America region). DfID’s Civil Society Challenge Fund also supports four individual projects working with communities affected by violence.

Cultural and Educational Relations with the UK

The British Council has had a centre in Bogotá since 1940 and has an active cultural relations programme. It works in three areas:
  • Intercultural understanding and positive change
  • The UK's creative and knowledge economy
  • Climate security

It has been involved in projects aimed at supporting the peace process, good governance and conflict resolution initiatives in Colombia, in which UK experience has been carefully tailored to local needs.

It is a leading provider of educational and cultural services in Colombia. In addition to having its largest language teaching operation in Latin America based in Colombia, it has been lead consultant for the Colombian Ministry of Education and Local Education Authorities in a major government initiative to improve language teaching and learning in schools: Colombia Bilingue. The British Council actively supports PM12 promoting educational opportunities in the UK for Colombian students and supporting a network of private educational consultants.

Through its series of cultural events, the Council projects the UK's creativity, cultural diversity and encourages a greater awareness of the UK. Major recent projects have included Hay Festival Cartagena, Dance workshops for non-disabled and disabled dancers supported by the UK Dance group CanDoCo and managing the UK’s contribution as Country of Honour at the 2008 Bogotá International Theatre Festival.

British Council, Colombia

Recent Inward Visits

February 2003 Foreign Minister Carolina Barco
July 2004 President of the Senate, German Vargas Lleras
February 2005 Vice Minister of Defence Andres Penate
13–14 July 2005 President Alvaro Uribe
28 November 2005 Vice-President Francisco Santos
November 2006 Vice-President Francisco Santos
January 2007 Foreign Minister Maria Consuelo Araujo
February 2007 Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos
May 2008 Vice-President Francisco Santos
October 2008 Vice President Francisco Santos
October 2008 Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez
May 2009 Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez

Recent Outward Visits

September 2003 British MPs from the Inter-Parliamentary Union
September 2004 Richard Allen MP, as Chair of the All-Party Group for Colombia
February 2005 Bill Rammell MP, as FCO Minister of State
August 2006 Kim Howell MP, as FCO Minister of State
September 2006 Lord Triesman, as FCO Minister of State
October 2006 Kim Howells MP, as FCO Minister of State
November 2007 Kim Howells MP, as FCO Minister of State
December 2008 Sir Peter Ricketts, as head of the Diplomatic Service
May 2009 Alan Campbell MP, as Home Office Minister of State for Crime Reduction
May 2009 Gillian Merron MP, as FCO Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

GEOGRAPHY

Colombia lies entirely within the tropics, but climate and land use vary greatly according to altitude, ranging from the arid low-lying Guajira peninsula in the north-east and tropical lowlands of the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, to the bleak pastures of the Andean páramo (high moorlands). The Andes' western, central and eastern cordilleras (mountain ranges) run parallel south-west to north-east. The physical geography means that large areas are very sparsely populated.

TRADE AND INVESTMENT

Trade and Investment with the UK

UK investment in Colombia is substantial, at over US$17 billion: SAB Miller is the country's largest foreign investor followed by BP. UK companies are particularly active in Colombia's oil and gas industry; extractive industries; environment; and financial services. Colombia is the UK's fifth largest export market in South America. The UK's share of the Colombian market has remained stubbornly at around 1% for the last few years. UK exports to Colombia in 2007 were valued at £140 million (up 5% over 2006). In 2007 their exports to the UK totalled £370 million; showing an increase of 21% compared with 2006. The Colombians have a healthy balance of trade surplus with the UK that amounted to £230 million in 2007. Beverages, power generation machinery and pharmaceutical products all head the UK's list of exports to Colombia. Coal, flowers, fruit and vegetables, and coffee were the main products imported from Colombia by the UK.

UK Trade & Investment Country Profile: Colombia

POLITICS

Executive power is exercised by the President (assisted by a Cabinet), who is elected for a 4-year term by national elections. Legislative power is vested in 2 chambers, consisting of a Senate (102 members elected for 4 years) and the House of Representatives (165 members elected for 4 years). The country is divided up into 32 departments and 1 Capital District. The 1886 Constitution was reformed by a Constituent Assembly in 1991.

The 2002 elections confirmed that the 2 traditional parties, the Liberals and the Conservatives, no longer totally dominate political life. Congress is now learning how to handle coalition politics following the success of a number of independent candidates, and representatives of political movements.

A key feature of the country's democratic system has been its resilience. This is reflected in the strong tradition of elected civilian Governments broken only twice, for a cumulative total of less than 5 years of non-civilian rule, since the founding of the Republic in 1819, giving the country the longest democratic legacy among Latin American countries.

In the mid-1960s 2 main guerrilla groups, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN), were established. Successive Presidents have had to face the consequences of internal armed conflict. The previous President Andres Pastrana's programme focused on peace processes with all the guerrilla groups, the fight against corruption, fiscal and political reform, an expansion of the state's role in education and health, better income distribution and poverty reduction, and job creation. Under 'Plan Colombia' the previous Colombian Government produced a drugs strategy that included targets to reduce the cultivation, processing and distribution of drugs by half from 2000-2005. The strategy, now adopted by the current government, also reinforced existing judicial measures to hit drug traffickers and confiscate assets and tackles the interconnected problems of violence, social and economic inequality, and abuse of human rights.

Elections

President Alvaro Uribe secured a second, 4-year term in elections held on 28 May 2006. It was the first time for over 100 years that a sitting President had been able to be run for office for a second successive term.

Regional and municipal elections took place on 28 October 2008. The opposition Polo Democratico party won the mayorship in Bogota. However, President Uribe’s party consolidated their position winning 17 out of 32 seats.

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