1. The political situation in Colombia
DE LA CHAPELLE Anne Laure
DECOUVELAERE Antoine
GERAULT Charles-Henri

2. General Presentation Government type:republic
Administrative divisions: 32 departments /1 capital distric
Independence:20 July 1810 (from Spain)
Constitution:5 July 1991
Legal system:based on Spanish law
Executive branch:
Chief of state: President Alvaro URIBE Velez
Vice President: Francisco SANTOS
Collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830: 3 countries: Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela
Area: 1,038,700 km²
Capital: Bogota
Boundaries: Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil
Coastlines: Caribbean Sea, North Pacific Ocean
Currency (code):Colombian peso (COP)
GDP per Capita: $7,565

3. General Presentation Population:43,593,035 (2006) Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.3%
15-64 years: 64.5%
65 years and over: 5.2%
Median age:total: 26.3 years
Population growth rate:1.46% (2006)
Ethnic groups:
mestizo 58%,
white 20%,
mulatto 14%,
black 4%,
mixed black-Amerindian 3%,
Amerindian 1%
Religions: Roman
Catholic 90%
other 10%
Languages:Spanish

4. Political Situation
Though Colombia is one of the oldest democracy in Latin America, and its economic growth increasing, its History is full of violence and political instability.
What is the actual political situation?
3 Powers fighting:
Guerilla organisations (FARC, ELN,…)
Paramilitary organisations
Colombian military

5. FARC: Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia
12,000-18,000 members (approximately 20 to 30% of them children under 18 years of age)
FARC are present in 35-40% of Colombia's territory
The FARC has proclaimed itself a politico-military Marxist-Leninist organization.
It funds itself principally through extortion, kidnapping and their participation in the illegal drug trade.

6. AUC: United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia = Paramilitary Groups
militants
Initial goal of paramilitary forces: protect the population from Guerillas, because the Colombian state has historically failed to do so.
Primary objective of AUC: protect its sponsors and its supporters from insurgents and their activities. They fight against FARC.
70% of the operational cost is financed by Drug Trafic, the rest comes from “donations” of sponsors.
They kill civils if they have any link with Guerillas
The AUC is considered to be a terrorist organization by multiple countries and organizations, including the United States and the European Union.

7. Colombian Military Forces
DRUG
DRUG
DRUG
DRUG
DRUG
FARC
Paramilitary Forces
DRUG
DRUG
Colombian Government ARMY:
- War against Drug Trafic
- War against Kidnapping
- War against Terrorism

8. Some problems that should be solved
Drug
Drug traffic finance the different paramilitary forces
First producer of cocaine in the world
Kidnapping
About 1600 peoples are retained in Columbia, most by the revolutionary army forces
Corruption
People accept it because they fear the consequence of fighting against it

9. Possible solutions Legalize drug Don’t give place to the FARC
This had already been proposed in Columbia
Pressure of the USA
Don’t give place to the FARC
Develop the urbanization
Problem of the Amazonian forest

10. Possible solutions (2) Oblige paramilitary forces to demobilize
Lastly, the Columbian government obliged the AUC’ military leader to turn himself in if he wanted to be extradited from USA
The AUC planned to demobilize completely by 2006