NAMUNC V

Specialized Agency: Colombian Cabinet

A Brief Introduction

Colombia sits on the NNW coast of the continent of South America, its shoreline split by the Panama isthmus.  Colombia became its own nation in 1810 when it declared itself independent from Spain.  It is nearly twice the size of Texas, and its population is about 60% mestizo (part Spanish, part native American Indian) and 20% white. The main language in Colombia is Spanish.  The Republic of Colombia’s form of government is, as its name implies, a republic.  The capital is Bogotá, and the executive branch has most control in the government.  The Colombian Cabinet (Council of Ministers of the Republic of Colombia) advises the current President, Alvaro Uribe.  Conflicts exist between the government and illegal armed groups, such as the FARC, and there are continual drug wars.  International Relations: supported by USA; political enemy of Venezuela.

Colombia and the FARC

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, rose out of La Violencia, a period of violence in the 1950s, where the Conservatives and Liberals fought bitterly over reforms.  The FARC is part of the Colombian Communist Party.  They now only slightly fight for their cause, which they state is the representation of the rural poor.  The FARC is more generally known as a highly organized terrorist organization.  The FARC is responsible for 15% of Colombia’s yearly deaths; moreover, they often target tourists and foreigners, either murdering them or holding them for ransom.  They have also crossed the Venezuelan border, taking hundreds hostage in 2007. 

The FARC’s kidnapping of foreign citizens has created some major diplomacy issues.  In the negotiations to release prisoners, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and European foreign ministers, have all become involved.  These negotiations have been carried on since the 1980s. Some progress has been made, but the FARC still maintains a strong hold on a large region in southeast Colombia.  The FARC gets much of its funds from extortion of the drug trade, thus implicating itself in many more transnational issues.  There is also evidence of FARC ties to the Venezuelan and Ecuadorian governments.  Since the early 2000s, the Colombian government has been putting pressure on the FARC both militarily and politically, and this has proven somewhat successful in decreasing FARC attacks on government forces.  Hugo Chávez has also recently served as a negotiator in the release of hostages, but Colombia does not officially recognize his role.  Currently, the FARC has issued a letter outlining the conditions under which it will negotiate a cease-fire and prisoner exchange.  It is worth noting that “some experts suggest the rebels continues [sic] to enter talks because it legitimizes their social justice cause” (CFR.org).  A small ray of hope exists in the fact that much of the rural poor (peasantry) has turned against the FARC and its violent ways.  This has put additional pressure on the approximately 16000 fighters (as of 2007), who have since been reduced to 9000 in 2008. 

Colombia and Venezuela

Colombian and Venezuelan leaders, Alvaro Uribe and Hugo Chávez, respectively, are still on bad terms when it comes to political and trade relations.  The killing of FARC second-in-command Raul Reyes, a key figure in hostage release talks, has sparked the ire of Chávez.  What’s more, Colombian efforts to destroy FARC coca crops (as a part of Plan Colombia) have resulted in the poisoning of Ecuadorian crops.  Colombians feel that Venezuela has overstepped its powers and is now meddling in their internal affairs.  Chávez accuses Uribe of being too close to the USA and President Bush’s policies.  Ecuador’s complaints have gone unheeded.  Finally, all of this has led to rival trade groups, such as the Andean Pact, between several South American nations. 

Colombia and the Rest of the World

In the midst of everything, Colombia seeks to maintain its position in the world and increase trade.  Plan Colombia has been met with some controversy because it allows Colombia to combat the FARC without reaching any real political solutions.  Colombia, has in fact signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States, effectively linking Colombia’s interests with those of the United States. 

These are long-term issues that cannot be fixed with short-term solutions.  As members of the President’s Cabinet, you need to be able to bring your department’s interests to the table and state what you believe needs to be done.  There are more issues at hand than included in this guide -- the more you know, the more informed your decision-making will be. 

Sources I Used (And You Can, Too!)

Official Sites

CIA World Factbook: Colombia

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia

Center for Defense Information – Terrorism in the Spotlight: FARC

GlobalSecurity.org: FARC

Council on Foreign Relations: FARC, ELN: Colombia’s Left-Wing Guerillas

Center for Int’l Policy: Colombia Project

News

Worldpress.org – Colombia-Venezuela: Border Tensions Rise

Worldpress.org – Plan Colombia: The Real Destabilizing Force in South America

BusinessWeek – Chavez Picks a New Fight, with Colombia

Databases (Note that most of the articles you will find in these databases are written from the perspective of American-Colombian relations.)

Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO)

JSTOR ("The Scholarly Journal Archive")

(more databases are available via the Batten Library)