Colombia

= = = =  Liberals VS Conservatives and More = = Colombia 1940/45-1990



__ Facts: __

Around 1988 there was an estimate of 28 million citizens with a growth rate of 2% In the 1980’s 90 percent of seven to eleven year olds went to primary school, below 70 percent in rural areas, and below 50 percent in isolated parts. Health care wasn't as reachable as needed, Life expectancy was at about sixty-eight for females and sixty-four for males. Colombia was a mix of Mestizos (50%), whites (25%), Mulattoes/Zambos (20%), Blacks (4%), and Indians (1%).  ("Society")

__ Through History __


 * 1939** - 1939-1945 Colombia helped the USA to keep the Panama Canal open during World War 2. ("Colombia History Timeline for Children")


 * 1946** - __Conservatives__ return to power.


 * 1948** - Assassination of left-wing mayor of Bogota ignites riots.


 * 1948-57** - 250,000-300,000 killed in civil war.


 * 1958** - __Conservatives and Liberals agree to form National Front in a bid to end the civil war__; other parties banned.

Guerrilla war


 * 1965** - Leftist National Liberation Army (ELN) and Maoist People's Liberation Army (EPL) founded.
 * 1966** - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc, the current largest guerrilla grouping) set up.


 * 1970** - National People's Alliance formed as a left-wing counterweight to the National Front.


 * 1971** - Left-wing M-19 guerrilla group emerges.


 * 1978** - President Julio Turbay (__Liberal__) begins intensive fight against drug traffickers.


 * 1982** - President Belisario Betancur (__Conservative__) grants guerrillas amnesty and frees political prisoners.

War against drug cartels stepped up


 * 1984** - Campaign against drug traffickers stepped up following assassination of justice minister.


 * 1985** - Eleven judges and 90 other people killed after M-19 guerrillas force their way into the Palace of Justice; Patriotic Union Party (UP) founded.

Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupts. An estimated 23,000 people are killed in four Andean towns.


 * 1986** - Virgilio Barco Vargas (Liberal) wins presidential elections by record margin. Right-wing paramilitary groups begin murder campaign against UP politicians, amid continuing violence by left-wing groups and death squads run by drugs cartels.
 * 1989** - M-19 becomes legal party after reaching peace agreement with government. __Liberal__ and UP presidential candidates murdered during presidential election campaign, reputedly at the behest of drug cartels; Cesar Gaviria elected on anti-drug platform. ("Colombia Timeline")

**__ The Start: __** The root of most conflicts in Colombia's history has originated from the fight between Liberals and Conservatives, or tradition and change. Both sides tried fighting for position as president or positions in the government. The downside of the conflict is the violence that many followers use to get the better lead. One of the large assassinations that took place in this time period was April 9th, 1948, the assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán. He was a Liberal presidential candidate and was murdered on Bogotá street leading to the Bogotazo. The Bogotazo is a popular uprising by the Liberal lower classes that resulted in massive destruction and looting in the capital, (Leech). Beginning in 1958, the two parties alternated four-year terms in the presidency and distributed all public positions evenly between the two parties and was known as the National front. Even though they were said to be in peace many more groups were formed after the treaty such as the National Popular Alliance (ANAPO), National Liberation Army (ELN), Maoist peoples Liberation Army (EPL), and the M-19, (Leech). Each group led to the next, ANAPO formed the M-19 which created the guerilla movement of 1972. Every road these groups took were in response to actions the government took, the government that was made up and divided by Conservatives and Liberals. The main reason for the formation of these groups and the murders of many leaders that ran for president was certainly the National Front, (Leech).

Even though the purpose of the National Front was to create peace between the Liberals and Conservatives but ended up causing more deaths and conflict than before.

"Chief executive is president of republic, elected by direct popular vote for four-year term and constitutionally prohibited 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." ("Government and Politics").
 * __ Government: __**

**__ Globalization in Colombia: __**
Compared to the United States government system they're similar which is expected since most of the aid for Colombia is received from the United States.

Along with receiving aid from the United States they also have interacted with them in numerous ways such as being " 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." ("Government and Politics").

Globalization has made a major impact on Columbia by altering their government to a democratic government that fights between two different sides of republic and democratic but for Colombia it is between liberals and conservatives. Works Cited

Colombia History Timeline for Children & Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May 2014. .

"Colombia Timeline." BBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May 2014. .

"Economy." Library of Congress Country Studies. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May 2014. .

"Flag of Colombia." Mega-flags. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014. .

"Government and Politics." Library of Congress Country Studies. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May 2014. .

Leech, Garry. "Fifty Years of Violence." Colombia Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May 2014. .

"National Security." Library of Congress Country Studies. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May 2014. .

"Society." Library of Congress Country Studies. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May 2014. .