Economic Issues In Colombia

Colombia's consistently sound economic policies and aggressive promotion of free trade agreements in recent years have bolstered its ability to weather external shocks. Columbia is the fourth largest coal exporter, and Latin America’s fourth largest oil producer. Economic development is obstructed by inadequate infrastructure, inequality, poverty, narcotics trafficking and an uncertain security situation. A major economic issue that the country faces is the fact that Columbia is a known global supplier of cocaine, marijuana, and heroin. The narcotics trade is around five to ten percent of the GDP, and because of drug trafficking, it has a negative impact on the economy and security. Another major political issue that Columbia faces is

the pressure that comes from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC), and the National Liberation Army (ELN) which is two of the largest insurgent group’s active in Columbia. Despite the nearly five decades of internal conflict and drug related security challenges, Columbia maintains strong democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties. Another issue that affects Columbia is more than 3 million people have been forced from their homes and tens of thousands have been killed, and the main players are government troops, leftist rebels, right-wing militias and cocaine cartels.
Under Colombia's Constitution, the president and the executive branch of the government have almost exclusive jurisdictional responsibility for the conduct of foreign relations.

The president was in charge of formulating and executing foreign policies, and was clearly the single most important player in the late 1980s. Despite the existence of committees on foreign relations in both houses, Congress had little role in making foreign policy. Columbia’s foreign policy has frequently shifted as a result of the president playing a key role, and the fact that the country’s president changes every four years. The president appoints and removes cabinet members, chooses diplomats to represent Colombia, and receives foreign diplomats and other representatives. The Primary Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the primary agency that conducted foreign relations under the president’s directions. Within the Foreign Service, two positions were almost as important as that of the minister because of their prestige and value in furthering a political career. One was that of ambassador to the United States, a post considered to be one of the stepping-stones to the presidency. Presidents López Michelsen, Turbay, and Barco all served as ambassadors to the United States. The other was that of ambassador to the Holy See. The role of the Roman Catholic Church in the life of the nation meant that this ambassador occupied a position of particular prestige and some importance. At the beginning of the

60’s, foreign policy was influenced and developed by the Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Finance, and economic interest groups. Columbia’s military played a key role in determining the nations foreign policies in incidents that involved boarder disputes or foreign support of domestic subversive groups.
For years Columbia has been focusing on internal developments for business, including trade and investment, technology, education, energy, and security.

The Santos administration created by, President Juan Manuel Santos, of the centre – right Social Party of National Unity (UP) has significantly expanded Columbia’s international engagement, both multilaterally and bilaterally. Santos’s priorities on foreign policies have included the expansion of the country’s investment and trade connections, both within the region and towards the Asia Pacific and Europe. The Santos administration continues to improve Colombia's international engagement and image abroad, such as through beginning agreements to the OECD, cooperation with NATO and pro tempore presidency of the Pacific Alliance, which it handed to Mexico in 2014. Columbia is an active member of the Association of Caribbean States, and the organization of American States (OAS). The International court Justice (ICJ) ruled in on a territorial and maritime dispute with Nicaragua ruling that Columbia would abandon maritime territory, causing tension with its norther neighbor. Columbia’s most important trading partner is the United States. The US-Colombia free trade agreement came into effect in 2012, and has enhanced Colombia’s most significant trading relationship which in 2012 accounted for 36.9 per cent of Colombia’s merchandise exports and 24.3 per cent of its merchandise imports. The US-Colombia engagement is being

further developed following the achievements of “Plan Colombia” through the Colombia-US High Level Partnership Dialogue.
The Republic of Columbia is home to almost over 45 million people, and is known as the gateway to South America because it sits in the northwestern part of the continent where South connect with Central and North America. It is also the fifth largest country in Latin America, and home to the world’s second largest speaking population. Almost 90 percent of the religion in Columbia is Roman Catholic, and ten percent is other religions. Columbia has a very diverse culture that comes from its unique history, and its African, European and Native Indian influences. Due to Columbia’s rich heritage the country has over 30 million-mestizo inhabitants with an immense variety of cultural traditions. What is unique about Columbia is that over 87 indigenous ethnic groups represents 1.5 percent of the country’s total population and speak 64 native languages that belong to 22 linguistic families, and nearly 12,000 gypsies who descend from colonial times, and several other non-traditional immigrant groups in different regions of the country. Columbia’s cultural mix makes the country’s music, food, dance, and art diverse and unique.
Nationalism is a set of related ideas that establish values about what is good and bad, it directs adherents on how to act, and it links together those who adhere to the ideology. Nationalism connects individuals motivated to help their country, and after researching Colombia it is clear that nationalism plays a role in foreign policies. The lack of governmental authority that was set in Rionegro became obvious to many Liberals and Conservatives. This was because it was allowing the country to run into what is now known as a chaotic course. This needed to be corrected, changed, and regulated immediately. A basic shift into Colombia’s direction is all the Regeneration movement needed. Rafael Nunez was a key leader of the movement, when he was elected president in 1879 and then held the office for three years. The national party was then formed as the Liberals and Conservatives, who were dissatisfied with the golgota governments, joined together. This partnership brought Nunez back to the presidency for a second term, during the year of 1884. Nunez was authorized by the Nationalists to take steps urgently to help improce the economic conditions. Nunez needed the agreement of all groups to try and reform the constitution. The golgotas in Santander started an armed rebellion in 1884. This was because they feared that constitutional change would service the Conservatives and unorthodox Liberals at the golgotas’ expense. As this spread across the country, by August of 1885 the Nationalist forces suppressed the revolution.
The adoption of the Constitution of 1886 was the most important result of the conflict. A national council made up of two delegates from each states adopted it. The Nationalist leaders believed that ultraliberalism as practiced under the Rionegro constitution did not fit the needs of the country and that a balance was needed between individual liberties and national order. With this philosophical background, the Constitution reversed the federalist trend and brought the country under strong centralist control. The country was renamed by the Constitution to the Republic of Colombia, although there were modifications, this remained in effect in the late 1980s.The Constitution does not provide for a confederate systems of government but rather a national one. This was for the reason that the president would then have more power than the governor. Over the year Colombia has been progressing, and you can see it in the Government. They have improved international relations, expanded its trade, has been working with keeping the peace between insurgents in the country. Colombia has a republic type of government, where the executive branch dominates the governmental structure, but the system has changed where the executive branch does not dominate.