Colombia Geopolitics (2016)

By | December 15, 2021

Politically, Colombia is a presidential republic. Representative democracy has survived the dramatic conflicts that plague the country without succumbing to the militarism that has long prevailed in the rest of the region. The fact remains that the Colombian political system, founded for a long time on a bipartisanship impervious to the entry into the field of new political forces, and permeated by corruption fueled by drug trafficking, suffers from serious distortions.

In the first decade of the 21st century, the Colombian democratic system began to show signs of greater solidity: both because a third political force took over the government of some large cities for the first time, and because President Álvaro Uribe, after two terms, not only did he end his presidency with a high degree of popularity, but he was also prevented from a third candidacy under the current Constitution, defended by the Supreme Court. Juan Manuel Santos, who succeeded him in 2010 as candidate of the Social Party of National Unity (moderate center-right formation commonly known as ‘Partido de la U’), managed to renew his presidential term by winning the elections in June 2014 against the ‘uribist’ candidate Óscar Ivan Zuluaga. The central theme of the campaign was the peace process with the Farc, supported by Santos as well as by the center-left parties and undertaken in 2012, but strongly opposed by the right represented by former president Uribe.

Freedom and rights

The long tradition of civil and constitutional government is not enough to make Colombia a pioneering country in respect of individual freedoms and rights. Despite the progress made in recent years in ensuring public safety, at least in urban areas, Colombia remains a country where citizens are often victims of violence and abuses and where crimes remain in most cases unpunished. Responsible for these violations are several actors. First of all, the paramilitary forces, which have arisen in many regions of the country, often with the connivance of the official authorities, to fight the guerrillas and have committed horrendous crimes and whose demobilization, in recent years, has taken place at the cost of a extensive impunity. Then the guerrilla formations, which have distinguished themselves for the systematic use of the kidnapping of citizens and public administrators as an instrument of political pressure and are characterized by a strong link with drug traffickers. Finally, the state security forces themselves have often been responsible for summary killings, reprisals against innocent people, falsification of evidence and torture. In this sense, there are numerous complaints from human rights protection organizations. The context of violence and illegality did not preserve the political and civil freedoms enshrined in the Constitution. Electoral competitions often take place between politicians linked to drug trafficking and corruption of public officials is a widespread scourge. Armed guerrilla groups also aim to boycott the elections with violent actions or by threatening candidates. Journalists and trade unionists are among the categories most affected by political violence. Electoral competitions often take place between politicians linked to drug trafficking and corruption of public officials is a widespread scourge. Armed guerrilla groups also aim to boycott the elections with violent actions or by threatening candidates. Journalists and trade unionists are among the categories most affected by political violence. Electoral competitions often take place between politicians linked to drug trafficking and corruption of public officials is a widespread scourge. Armed guerrilla groups also aim to boycott the elections with violent actions or by threatening candidates. Journalists and trade unionists are among the categories most affected by political violence. For Colombia democracy and rights, please check localbusinessexplorer.com.

Defense and security

The sum of the outbreaks of conflict makes Colombia a country with chronic security problems, which affect its political and social life. The fight against drug trafficking is intertwined with the war fought by the armed forces against the guerrilla fronts. The huge economic and military aid provided by the United States (the ‘Plan Colombia’ has been in force since 1999, which has the dual purpose of combating drug cartels and the development of far-left political groups but which has sparked several disputes for methods used by military forces) has heightened tension with neighboring countries, especially Ecuador and Venezuela. Already worried in the past by the possible contagion of Colombian conflicts, the two countries have taken hostile positions towards the alliances between Colombia and USA, especially since two Bolivarian leaders took over the government. In particular, relations between Bogota and Caracas remain very tense. This could represent a setback both for President Santos’ moderate rapprochement with neighbors, but also for the peace process with the Farc. The negotiation, which began in 2012 and takes place in Havana, envisages reaching an agreement on five points (favoring rural development, full rights to participation and political opposition in a democratic context, cessation of the armed conflict, contrast the production and trade of illicit drugs, compensation for the victims of the conflict), but is experiencing slowdowns. This combination of factors, coupled with the high crime rates that keep the Colombian police busy, means that the security forces have dredged increasing shares of the budget since the 1990s . and are better equipped and trained than those of their neighbors. The relationship between the expenses and the results obtained is the subject of criticism: observers denounce the poor efficiency of the security forces and the unsustainability of the growth in military spending.

The ‘special relationship’ between Bogotá and Washington

In the geopolitical context of Latin America, where the traditional US hegemony is the object of harsh attacks and rivalries, Colombia has represented, more than any other country, the closest ally of the United States. This relationship in many ways ‘special’ matured since the time of the Korean War, when Colombia was the only country in the region to send troops to fight alongside those of the United Nations. Over time, relations between the two countries further consolidated, as the Colombian gut conflict threatened the stability of the entire region. In addition, Colombia had become the center of drug trafficking, mostly consumed in the United States. In this context, President Bill Clinton launched the ‘Plan Colombia’ in 1999, an ambitious project aimed at combating drug trafficking. Over time, the plan took on an increasingly military aspect and, under George W. Bush, it also extended to the fight against guerrillas. Recipient of the enormous sum of around 7 billion dollars, the ‘Plan Colombia’ has become, on the one hand, the symbol of the close alliance between the two countries and, on the other, the privileged object of criticism from anti-US currents..

However, since Juan Manuel Santos’ first mandate in 2010, the situation has changed slightly, both as a result of the discontent sparked in the US by the ratification of a free trade treaty with Colombia, and the desire of the Bogotá government to alleviate tensions with neighboring countries and induce them to cooperation, freeing the country from the isolation to which rigid alignment with Washington has increasingly forced it. Hence the resumption of cordial relations between Colombia and Ecuador, interrupted in 2008 when the Colombian armed forces bombed a guerrilla camp in Ecuadorian territory.

On the other hand, the relationship with Venezuela remains stormy. Finally, five years after its signature, the US Congress ratified the bilateral free trade agreement with Colombia in November 2011, which officially entered into force six months later. The US International Trade Commission has estimated that US exports to Colombia could grow annually by over one billion dollars, while Colombian exports to the United States by about five hundred million dollars.

Colombia Geopolitics