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Colombia GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Government: Under 1886 Constitution, executive,
legislative, and judicial branches established with
separation of
powers and with checks and balances; nonetheless,
executive
retained strong policy-making authority. Chief executive
is
president of republic, elected by direct popular vote for
four-year
term and constitutionally probibited from seeking
consecutive
terms. Legislative authority vested in bicameral Congress
consisting of 114-member Senate and 199-member House of
Representatives. Congress popularly elected for four-year
term.
Judiciary consists of twenty-four-member Supreme Court;
various
district superior, circuit, municipal, and lower courts;
and
Council of State. In addition to national government,
Colombia
divided into twenty-three departments, four intendancies,
and five
commisaryships.
Politics: Virgilio Barco Vargas of Liberal Party
(Partido
Liberal) elected president in May 1986, succeeding
Belisario
Betancur Cuartas of Social Conservative Party (Partido
Social
Conservador), until July 1987 known as Conservative Party
(Partido
Conservador). Political institutions dominated since
mid-nineteenth
century by Liberals and Conservatives. Both parties
characterized
by factional rivalries in late 1980s. Minor parties
included
leftist Patriotic Union (Unión Patriótica). Political
system
challenged in late 1980s by various leftist guerrilla
movements and
by narcotics traffickers linked to rightist paramilitary
groups.
Four major guerrilla organizations--Revolutionary Armed
Forces of
Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de
Colombia--FARC),
National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación
Nacional--ELN),
Popular Liberation Army (Ejército Popular de
Liberación--EPL), and
19th of April Movement (Movimiento 19 de Abril--M-19)--and
several
smaller guerrilla groups operated in 1988. Narcotics
traffickers
sponsored assassinations of numerous government officials
and
politicians.
International Relations: Generally adopted low
profile,
relying on international law and regional and
international
security organizations. Good relations with United States.
Relations with Venezuela strained over border disputes,
presence of
undocumented Colombians in Venezuela, and activities of
Colombian
narcotics traffickers and guerrillas.
International Agreements and Membership: Party
to InterAmerican Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty) and
Treaty
for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America
(Tlatelolco
Treaty). Also a member of numerous organizations,
including
Organization of American States, United Nations and its
specialized
agencies, World Bank, Latin American Integration
Association, and
Nonaligned Movement.
Data as of December 1988
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