Introduction The Republic of Colombia, located on the northwest corner of South America has a population of approximately 47 million. Colombia gained its independence from Spain in 1830 and became the first constitutional government in South America. Deep political divisions in the 1940’s and 1950’s gave rise to several anti government guerilla groups, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The FARC originally organized to support the peasant class who was struggling against harsh working conditions. By 1964, the FARC had adopted an active military resistance as part of its political platform to seize power. Armed conflicts between the FARC and the Colombian government continued for the next five decades and the FARC utilized proceeds from the illegal drug trade to finance their military actions.
Current Events Facing significant military setbacks over the last five years, the FARC agreed to begin peace talks with the Colombian government in 2012. The goal of the negotiations was to reach a ceasefire agreement and introduce former FARC members into mainstream society and the legitimate political process (CIA World Factbook). Both sides have elements that are not supportive of any peace agreement and continue attacks, even in the backdrop of
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The CIA World Factbook states that Colombia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown at a rate of higher than four percent for the last three years. Colombia has depended heavily on energy and mining exports which makes it susceptible to changing commodity prices. Additionally, the sustained rise in GDP has persuaded all three major economic rating organizations to upgrade the country’s debt to investment level, which will stimulate foreign investment (CIA World
Colombia was one of the three original countries along with Ecuador and Venezuela that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830. Over the last 40 years, there has been a campaign to overthrow the government partially because of the drug trades throughout Colombia. The movement does however lack support from military and support from the necessary influences. In recent years, there have been challenges for control of the territories throughout Colombia and also for the drug trade.
Most of us are familiar with these global terms “American dream” and “drugs cartels”. These thoughts exemplify one the differences between United States of America and Colombia. Despite United States of America and Colombia are located in the same hemisphere significant differences in food, natural resources and tourist attractions make each country quite distinct from the other.
Colombia, republic in South America, situated in the northwestern part of the continent, and bounded on the north by Panama and the Caribbean Sea, on the east by Venezuela and Brazil, on the south by Peru and Ecuador, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Colombia is the only country of South America with coasts on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The total land area of the country is 1,141,748 sq km (440,831 sq mi). The capital and largest city is Bogotá.
Colombia has been a very unstable country for the past fifty years. Beginning in the
The FARC is Colombia’s largest terror group. The FARC was established in 1964. The FARC began with farmers and agricultural workers who abandoned their positions to fight inequalities in Colombia. The FARC revolves around a Marxist-Leninist ideology. The FARCs early establishment suffered losses within its organization due to consistent military raids conducted by the Columbian Forces in order to disrupt or destroy the group. As the fight continued, those losses changed the leadership constantly through the years. The FARC has adapted and overcame many obstacles as the Colombian Government continues its fight against the terror group. As the fight continued through the years, the FARCs ability to change their tactics and weapons advanced. With more powerful weapons through the years and their ability to become more organized, the FARCs ability to fight back became more powerful.
Additionally, they provided low level social services to villages, including medical services and schooling. The group funded their efforts by kidnapping members of wealthy families and demanding ransom. By 1970, FARC militants were heavily involved in drug trafficking that enabled them to accumulate large amounts of wealth and weapons. In the early 1980s, the FARC and the Colombian government began peace talks with the goal of reaching a mutual agreement of disarmament of and a change in land reform policy in the
Colombia actually hasn't always been called Colombia and its first name was the Republic of Colombia.That name came from the viceroyalty lands that was made up of other Latin American countries, which split apart in 1818 and was when Colombia then adopted its new name. Now their capital is Bogota.The country itself actually sits in quite a scenic place with oceans and mountains all around them. Colombia is in the northern part of South America, between Panama and Venezuela and is also bordering the Caribbean sea(cia). Colombia usually has cool tropical weather with flat coastal lowlands, High lands, The andes and some great plains. Their total area is approximately twice the size of Texas, with 1,138,910 Km of total land. With a population
Colombia’s FARC: A Portrait of Insurgent Intelligence by Gentry and Spencer looks in great detail of the insurgent group known as FARC . The article aims to view how groups FARC uses its intelligence services and groups like FARC. The article also goes into great detail on the history of FARC. The authors say that the groups military intelligence is fairly good but
The main ambition of the FARC has been to create upheaval through bombings and political demonstrations (UNRIC, 2016). These rebellions continued well after the Escobar reign and into the 2000s. Demonstrations were put on by Colombian nationals in order to hold the FARC back, but to little avail. However, in 2012 the FARC announced that they would no longer be committing kidnappings and released many victims. It was at this time, though, that they began attacking infrastructure, mainly the energy sector (UNRIC, 2016). The FARC had already been stunting the conservation of biodiversity, playing into the heavy deforestation in Colombia because of the illegal drug trade, and holding Colombia back from fulling taking advantage of their resources by making many areas of the country no-go areas due to the threat of violence. After over 200 attacks, however, the FARC began to deteriorate and talks of a ceasefire and peace were on the
Colombia was plagued by a civil war for 50 years. This conflict involved various parties, but the main one was The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. This was a guerrilla group which tormented the country since the organization's founding in 1964. Since its creation women have faced a disproportional amount of violence due to the conflict. Both within the FARC itself, but also ordinary citizens who have the victim to the civil war.
Colombia is a Latin American country located in South America that has been ravaged by violence, starvation, and large-scale inequality between higher and lower classes. The chaos in Colombia has been between rebel forces and the government and has lasted for over fifty years. These rebel forces have fought to achieve their Liberalist lead goals of overthrowing the current democratic government of Colombia and replacing it with a communist government. La Violencia was the main contributor to the conflict between the resistance fighters of Colombia and the Colombian government that has brought on violence and terror from the violent actions between the Liberal and Conservative parties in the 1950’s. , which has directly brought on the violence and terror from the guerrilla groups.
Throughout Colombia’s history there has been two very violent groups of people who do not like each other. This caused the War of Thousand Days and The Violence,
Violence seems to be a nationwide phenomenon. Almost all aspects of the Colombian population experience some degree of violence. Almost everybody is a potential victim; violence does not prefer a particular socioeconomic class, profession, race, or
Three-fourths of Colombia is situated in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the same size as France, Spain, and Portugal combined. Colombia claims two islands San Andres and Providence. Colombia is located in the northern corner of South Canal. It is bordered by Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and Brazil. The Eastern half of Colombia is low jungle area. The Southern pacific is covered in marshy lowlands. Some of the Andes Mountains run into Colombia. The southern sector of Colombia runs through the Equator. Colombia’s Amazon Region is located in the Southern Hemisphere.
Overtime, the FARC numbers swelled from a few dozen fighters to a few thousand fighters. In order to fund their 50 year fight against the Colombian government, the FARC has turned to kidnapping, extortion and drug trafficking (BBC News.)