ColombiaColombia

TimelineTimeline1830 Consolidation of current territory1830 Consolidation of current territory1830-1900s partisan civil wars, coalitions 1830-1900s partisan civil wars, coalitions

and constitutionsand constitutions1886 Conservative, centralist constitution 1886 Conservative, centralist constitution

is written (remains in force until 1991)is written (remains in force until 1991)1946-19571946-1957La ViolenciaLa Violencia1953-1957 Military regime of General 1953-1957 Military regime of General

Gustavo Rojas PinillaGustavo Rojas Pinilla1957-1958 Military junta oversees 1957-1958 Military junta oversees

transition from Rojas to the National transition from Rojas to the National FrontFront

TimelineTimeline1958-1974 The National Front Era1958-1974 The National Front Era

Also period of time during which Also period of time during which partisan fighting evolves into guerrilla partisan fighting evolves into guerrilla warfare (FARC, ELN, EPL, M-19)warfare (FARC, ELN, EPL, M-19)

1974-1991 Post-Front/Constitutional 1974-1991 Post-Front/Constitutional Democracy and Guerrilla warDemocracy and Guerrilla war1970s/1980s Drugs become a major 1970s/1980s Drugs become a major source of conflictsource of conflict

1991-present1991-present1991 National Constituent Assembly 1991 National Constituent Assembly writes new constitutionwrites new constitution2003: Electoral Reform2003: Electoral ReformRe-election allowed alsoRe-election allowed also

Democratic DevelopmentDemocratic Development Oligarchic DemocracyOligarchic Democracy ClientelismClientelism Importance of Political PartiesImportance of Political Parties Importance of ConstitutionsImportance of Constitutions

Table 2.1: Basic Chronology and Classification of Colombian Democracy

1819-1953Pseudodemocracy: elections (many indirect) with limited suffrage

1953-1957Nondemocracy: military dictatorship of General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla.

1958-Present

Mix of Electoral and Liberal Democracy: open competition for power, with citizen rights often marred by ongoing political violence.

ViolenceViolence The Violence of consolidation The Violence of consolidation  Partisan ViolencePartisan Violence Guerrilla ViolenceGuerrilla Violence Drug ViolenceDrug Violence

The Violence of The Violence of consolidation consolidation 

1821 War for independence

1830Result of Decree by Bolívar  in the context of his two year dictatorship 1828-1830

1832Resignation of Bolívar and the dissolution of Greater Colombia (the leaving of Ecuador and Venezuela)/coup in 1830

1843 Civil war (War of the Supremes) / coup in 1842

1853 Civil war

1858 Civil war

1863 Civil war

1886Rebellion led to decree nullifying the 1863 constitution

 

Figure 2.1: Colombian Murder Rate, 1946-2005[i]

010

20304050

607080

90100

1946

1949

1952

1955

1958

1961

1964

1967

1970

1973

1976

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000

2003

[i] 1946-1999 figures from Brauer, et al., 2004:15-16. 2000-2004 figures Forensis 2004:51. 2005 figure, Forsensis 2005:2.

Figure 2.2: Comparative Figure 2.2: Comparative Murder Rates, 1970-2002 Murder Rates, 1970-2002

0102030405060708090

1970-1974 1975-1979 1980-1984 1985-1989 1990-1994 1995--1999 2000-2002

Colombia USA World

Table 8.2: 2006 Presidential Election Results

Candidate Party Votes Percentage

Álvaro Uribe Vélez Primero Colombia[i] 7,397,835 62.35%

Carlos Gaviria Díaz PDA 2,613,157 22.02%

Horacio Serpa Uribe PL 1,404,235 11.83%

Antanas Mockus Sivickas ASI 146,583 1.23%

Enrique Parejo González MRDN 42,652 0.35%

Alvaro Leyva Duran MNR 18,263 0.15%

Carlos Arturo Rincon Barreto MCCC 15,388 0.12%

[i] Note: “Primero Colombia” (“Colombia First”) was a slogan used on the ballot, rather than a party label in the sense that it was only used for this election by one candidate (not unlike the way Andrés Pastrana used the space for a party label on the 1994 and 1998 presidential ballots).

Violence (Actors)Violence (Actors)• GuerrillasGuerrillas• NarcotraffickersNarcotraffickers• Paramilitary GroupsParamilitary Groups