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Colombia Government 1996
republic; executive branch dominates government structure
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Administrative divisions:
32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital
district* (distrito capital); Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlantico,
Bogota*, Bolivar, Boyaca, Caldas, Caqueta, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Choco,
Cordoba, Cundinamarca, Guainia, Guaviare, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena,
Meta, Narino, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindio, Risaralda, San Andres y
Providencia, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupes, Vichada
20 July 1810 (from Spain)
Independence Day, 20 July (1810)
based on Spanish law; a new criminal code modeled after US procedures was
enacted in 1992-93; judicial review of executive and legislative acts;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
chief of state and head of government:
President Ernesto SAMPER Pizano (since 7 August 1994); election last held
29 May 1994 (next to be held May 1998) and resulted in no candidate
receiving more than 50% of the total vote; a run-off election to select a
president from the two leading candidates was held on 19 June 1994; results
- Ernesto SAMPER Pizano (Liberal Party) 50.4%, Andres PASTRANA Arango
(Conservative Party) 48.6%, blank votes 1%; Humberto de la CALLE was elected
vice president in a new proceedure that replaces the traditional designation
of vice presidents by newly elected presidents.
bicameral Congress (Congreso)
elections last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998);
preliminary results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (102 total)
Liberal Party 59, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF) 31, other 12
House of Representatives (Camara de Representantes):
elections last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998);
preliminary results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (161 total)
Liberal Party 89, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF) 53, AD/M-19 2,
other 17
Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justical), Constitutional Court,
Council of State
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Political parties and leaders:
Liberal Party (PL), Juan Guillermo ANGEL; Conservative Party (PC), Fabio
VALENCIA Cossio; National Salvation Movement (MSN), Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado;
New Democratic Force (NDF), Andres PASTRANA Arango; Democratic Alliance M-19
(AD/M-19) is a coalition of small leftist parties and dissident liberals and
conservatives; Patriotic Union (UP) is a legal political party formed by
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and Colombian Communist Party
(PCC), Carlos ROMERO
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Other political or pressure groups:
three insurgent groups are active in Colombia - Revolutionary Armed Forces
of Colombia (FARC), Manuel MARULANDA and Alfonso CANO; National Liberation
Army (ELN), Manuel PEREZ; and dissidents of the recently demobilized
People's Liberation Army (EPL), Francisco CARABALLO; Francisco CARABALLO was
captured by the government in June 1994
AG, CCC, CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL,
OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation in US:
Ambassador Carlos LLERAS de la Fuente
2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San
Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Washington, DC
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US diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Myles R. R. FRECHETTE
Calle 38, No. 8-61, Bogota
Apartado Aereo 3831, Bogota; APO AA 34038
three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and red; similar
to the flag of Ecuador, which is longer and bears the Ecuadorian coat of
arms superimposed in the center
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