Virgilio Barco Vargas (17 September 1921 – 20 May 1997) was a Colombian politician and civil engineer who served as the 27th President of Colombia serving from 7 August 1986 to 7 August 1990.
94-720: Barco was born in Cúcuta in the Norte de Santander Department of Colombia to Jorge Enrique Barco Maldonado and Julieta Vargas Durán. He studied Civil Engineering at the National University of Colombia and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from which he graduated in 1943. He entered politics in 1943 when he became a city council member for the Liberal Party in the town of Durania . He
188-514: A PhD in economics from Boston University. Barco is the grandson of Colombian General Virgilio Barco M. , who developed one of the country's largest oil concessions in 1905. Barco returned to Colombia in 1954 to help negotiate the peace process which allowed the formation of the National Front between liberals and conservatives, which lasted two decades. He became a member of the Senate ,
282-421: A certain extent. They hoped that Uribe's government would make serious efforts towards improving the human rights situation inside the country, protecting civilians and reducing any abuses committed by the armed forces. Uribe's supporters in turn believed that increased military action was a necessary prelude to any serious negotiation attempt with the guerrillas and that the increased security situation would help
376-751: A conflict between the government and the Farc. The remote site is a two-hour drive from San José del Guaviare , followed by a four-hour trek. The site was discovered by a team from National University of Colombia , University of Antioquia and the University of Exeter as part of a project funded by European Research Council as part of the Horizon 2020 Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development. Between 5000 and 1000 BCE, hunter-gatherer tribes transitioned to agrarian societies; fixed settlements were established, and pottery appeared. Beginning in
470-508: A formal peace process. By 2004, the security situation of Colombia had shown some measure of an improvement, and the economy, while still fragile, had also shown some positive signs. On the other hand, relatively little had been accomplished in structurally solving most of the country's other grave problems, in part due to legislative and political conflicts between the administration and the Colombian Congress (including those over
564-596: A limited franchise. Santander's followers, forerunners of the Liberals, wanted a decentralized government, state rather than church control over education and other civil matters, and a broadened suffrage. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, each party held the presidency for roughly equal periods of time. Colombia maintained a tradition of civilian government and regular, free elections. The military has seized power three times in Colombia's history: in 1830, after
658-507: A matter of widespread importance to all participants in the Colombian conflict. Guerrillas and newly wealthy drug lords had mutually uneven relations, and thus numerous incidents occurred between them. Eventually, the kidnapping of drug cartel family members by guerrillas led to the creation of the 1981 Muerte a Secuestradores (MAS) death squad ("Death to Kidnappers"). Pressure from the U.S. government and critical sectors of Colombian society
752-710: A military attack on the community of Marquetalia . Although the system established by the Sitges agreement was phased out by 1974, the 1886 Colombian constitution — in effect until 1991—required that the losing political party be given adequate and equitable participation in the government which, according to many observers and later analysis, eventually resulted in some increase in corruption and legal relaxation. The current 1991 constitution does not have that requirement, but subsequent administrations have tended to include members of opposition parties. From 1974 until 1982, different presidential administrations chose to focus on ending
846-545: A military uprising in the Isthmus Department in 1903, which resulted in the separation and independence of Panama . A military coup in 1953 toppled the right-wing government of Conservative Laureano Gómez and brought General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla to power. Initially, Rojas enjoyed considerable popular support, due largely to his success in reducing " La Violencia ." When he did not restore democratic rule and occasionally engaged in open repression, however, he
940-561: A mostly urban guerrilla group founded in response to an alleged electoral fraud during the final National Front election of Misael Pastrana Borrero (1970–1974) and the defeat of former dictator Gustavo Rojas Pinilla . Initially, the M-19 attracted a degree of attention and sympathy from mainstream Colombians that the FARC and National Liberation Army (ELN) had found largely elusive earlier due to extravagant and daring operations, such as stealing
1034-545: A peace process with the group. By 1982, the perceived passivity of the FARC , together with the relative success of the government's efforts against the M-19 and ELN, enabled the administration of the Liberal Party's Julio César Turbay (1978–1982) to lift a state-of-siege decree that had been in effect, on and off, for most of the previous 30 years. Under the latest such decree, president Turbay had implemented security policies that, though of some military value against
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#17327649603131128-541: A result of it, the Department of Cúcuta existed for a short period. In April 1910, the political division of Colombia changed again. The 34 departments created in 1908 were suppressed and in 1905, Cúcuta disappeared as department and returns as part of Bucaramanga. Law 25 July 14, 1910, took effect 20 July of that year. It was signed by the then President of the National Assembly of Colombia, Emilio Ferrero;
1222-607: A run-off election marked by high voter turnout and little political unrest. The new president's program was based on a commitment to bring about a peaceful resolution of Colombia's longstanding civil conflict and to cooperate fully with the United States to combat the trafficking of illegal drugs. While early initiatives in the Colombian peace process gave reason for optimism, the Pastrana administration also has had to combat high unemployment and other economic problems, such as
1316-520: A significant break in the uneven negotiations carried over from the previous decade. President Ernesto Samper assumed office in August 1994. However, a political crisis relating to large-scale contributions from drug traffickers to Samper's presidential campaign diverted attention from governance programs, thus slowing, and in many cases, halting progress on the nation's domestic reform agenda. The military also suffered several setbacks in its fight against
1410-426: A special demography due its borders. Cúcuta has the largest population. Other cities are Ocaña and Pamplona . A large part of the population lives in urban areas, 79.17%, while 20.87% of the departmental population lives in rural areas. In 2019, it was reported to be the department with the most Venezuelan migrants, with a total of 176,695. In Norte de Santander there are several minority groups, among them include
1504-471: A sword that had belonged to Colombia's Independence hero Simon Bolívar . At the same time, its larger profile soon made it the focus of the state's counterinsurgency efforts. The ELN guerrilla had been seriously crippled by military operations in the region of Anorí by 1974, but it managed to reconstitute itself and escape destruction, in part due to the administration of Alfonso López Michelsen (1974–1978) allowing it to escape encirclement, hoping to initiate
1598-648: Is located in the northwestern zone of the Colombian Andean Region . The area of present-day Norte de Santander played an important role in the history of Colombia , during the War of Independence from Spain when Congress gave origin to the Greater Colombia in Villa del Rosario . The jungle zone and the valleys of the department served as the settlement of several indigenous groups, among them
1692-705: Is now Colombia and Panama emerged as the Republic of New Granada . The new nation experimented with federalism as the Granadine Confederation (1858) and then the United States of Colombia (1863) before the Republic of Colombia was finally declared in 1886. A period of constant political violence ensued, and Panama seceded in 1903. Since the 1960s, the country has suffered from an asymmetric low-intensity armed conflict which escalated in
1786-484: Is now buried in the Central Cemetery of Bogotá . Norte de Santander Department North Santander (Spanish: Norte de Santander ) ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈnoɾte ðe santanˈdeɾ] ) is a department of Northeastern Colombia . It is in the north of the country, bordering Venezuela . Its capital is Cúcuta , one of the country's major cities. North Santander is bordered by Venezuela to
1880-605: The Barí and Chitatero people. These indigenous groups inhabited the region between the Sardinata, Tarra and Zulia rivers. The U'wa people also inhabited part of the department, the political organization of this indigenous group was through clans. The first European to set foot on the land where the department is located was the German Ambrosio Alfinger in 1530. Although the colonization process began with
1974-528: The Cauca River Valley between the Western and Central Ranges. The Incas expanded their empire on the southwest part of the country. During the 1200s, Malayo-Polynesians and Native Americans in Colombia made contact, thereby spreading Native American genetics from Precolonial Colombia to some Pacific Ocean islands. Europeans first visited the territory that became Colombia in 1499 when
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#17327649603132068-465: The Guayabero River was discovered in 2019, but was not revealed to the public until 2020. There are tens of thousands of paintings of animals and humans created up to 12.500 BP. Images of now-extinct ice age animals, such as the mastodon , helped date the site. Other ice-age animals depicted include the palaeolama , giant sloths and ice age horses . The site has gone undiscovered because of
2162-750: The Magdalena River valley. Due to its location, the present territory of Colombia was a corridor of early human migration from Mesoamerica and the Caribbean to the Andes and the Amazon basin . The oldest archaeological finds are from the Pubenza archaeological site and El Totumo archaeological site in the Magdalena Valley 100 kilometres (62 mi) southwest of Bogotá. These sites date from
2256-657: The Muisca Confederation . The Muisca had one of the most developed political systems ( Muisca Confederation ) in South America , surpassed only by the Incas . They farmed maize, potato, quinoa and cotton, and traded gold, emeralds , blankets, ceramic handicrafts, coca and especially salt with neighboring nations. The Tairona inhabited northern Colombia in the isolated Andes mountain range of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta . The Quimbaya inhabited regions of
2350-744: The Paleoindian period (18.000–8000 BCE). At Puerto Hormiga archaeological site and other sites, traces from the Archaic period in South America (~8000–2000 BCE) have been found. Vestiges indicate that there was also early occupation in the regions of El Abra , Tibitó and Tequendama in Cundinamarca . The oldest pottery discovered in the Americas, found at San Jacinto archaeological site, dates to 5000–4000 BCE. Indigenous people inhabited
2444-653: The Viceroyalties of New Spain or Peru and correspond mainly to today's Venezuela , Ecuador and Panama . So, Bogotá became one of the principal administrative centers of the Spanish possessions in the New World, along with Lima and Mexico City . From then on, the long independence struggle was led mainly by Bolívar and Francisco de Paula Santander in neighboring Venezuela. Bolívar returned to New Granada only in 1819 after establishing himself as leader of
2538-698: The Viceroyalty of New Spain , which included the Philippines, the source of Asian products like silk and porcelain which was in demand in the Americas. Illegal trade between Peruvians, Filipinos, and Mexicans continued in secret, as smuggled Asian goods ended up in Córdoba, Colombia , the distribution center for illegal Asian imports, due to the collusion between these peoples against the authorities in Spain. They settled and traded with each other while disobeying
2632-467: The Zulía River . The Colombian Congress issued law 69 of 1923, which requested the construction of an aerial lift that would connect the Magdalena River with the city of Cucutá, the reason was that several road and rail transportation projects had failed, but for political and economic reasons, only the aerial lift between Ocaña and Gamarra could be completed. The Ministry of Public Works ordered
2726-429: The "cartels" have broken up into multiple smaller and often-competing trafficking organizations. Nevertheless, violence continues as these drug organizations resort to violence as part of their operations but also to protest government policies, including extradition. The M-19 and several smaller guerrilla groups were successfully incorporated into a peace process as the 1980s ended and the 1990s began, which culminated in
2820-438: The 1990s but decreased from 2005 onward. The legacy of Colombia's history has resulted in a rich cultural heritage, and Colombia's geographic and climatic variations have contributed to the development of strong regional identities. From approximately 12.000 years BP onwards, hunter-gatherer societies existed near present-day Bogotá (at El Abra and Tequendama ), and they traded with one another and with cultures living in
2914-602: The 1st millennium BCE, groups of Amerindians including the Muisca , Quimbaya , Tairona , Calima , Zenú , Tierradentro , San Agustín , Tolima and Urabá became skilled in farming, mining and metalcraft; and some developed the political system of cacicazgos with a pyramidal structure of power headed by caciques . The Muisca inhabited mainly the area of what is now the Departments of Boyacá and Cundinamarca high plateau ( Altiplano Cundiboyacense ) where they formed
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3008-525: The Americas . The Spanish advance inland from the Caribbean coast began independently from three different directions, under Jimenéz de Quesáda , Sebastián de Benalcázar (known in Colombia as Belalcázar) and Nikolaus Federmann . Although all three were drawn by the Indian treasures, none intended to reach Muisca territory. where they finally met. In August 1538, Quesáda founded Santa Fe de Bogotá on
3102-545: The Catatumbo has temperatures averaging 24 °C (75 °F) with warm climates and humid. In the zone of Cúcuta, climate varies from dry to very dry. In the mountainous area, climates go from the temperate to cold. The northeast of the department is generally of a warm humid climate, including Tibú. In municipalities such as Ocaña and Ábrego, temperate climates predominate. In the limits between Santander and Norte de Santander there are cold climates. North Santander has
3196-540: The Conservative and Liberal parties. The Thousand Days' War (1899–1902) cost an estimated 100.000 lives, and up to 300.000 people died during " La Violencia " of the late 1940s and 1950s, a bipartisan confrontation which erupted after the assassination of Liberal popular candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán . United States activity to influence the area (especially the Panama Canal construction and control) led to
3290-482: The GDP of Norte de Santander, specifically agricultural activities contribute 23.2% while mining activities contribute 6.1%, much of the mining carried out in the department is coal extraction. In other aspects of the departmental economy, commerce contributes 10.4% of the departmental GDP, and manufacturing industry contributes 12.9%. The department has several tourist sites around several municipalities such as Ocaña, among
3384-565: The INCORA issued more than 60.000 land titles to farmers and workers. In the end, the contradictions between each successive Liberal and Conservative administration made the results decidedly mixed. Despite the progress in certain sectors, many social and political injustices continued. The National Front system itself eventually began to be seen as a form of political repression by dissidents and even many mainstream voters, and many protesters were victimized during this period. Especially after what
3478-412: The M-19 in particular, were considered highly questionable both inside and outside Colombian circles due to numerous accusations of military human rights abuses against suspects and captured guerrillas. Citizen exhaustion due to the conflict's newfound intensity led to the election of president Belisario Betancur (1982–1986), a Conservative who won 47% of the popular vote, directed peace feelers at all
3572-663: The M-19's actions and its commitment to the peace process, as it continued to advance high-profile negotiations with the FARC, which led to the creation of the Patriotic Union (Colombia) (UP), a legal and non-clandestine political organization. On November 6, 1985, the M-19 stormed the Colombian Palace of Justice and held the Supreme Court magistrates hostage, intending to put president Betancur on trial. In
3666-694: The Mountainous area of the Motilones. On the other hand, the plains of the Catatumbo and Zulia Rivers are located to the Northwest. To the south is the valley of the Magdalena River . A rich hydrographic system crosses the department with three river basins of great importance: to the north is Catatumbo river, to the west Magdalena river and to the southwest, the Orinoco river . The sector around
3760-496: The Secretary, Marcelino Uribe exequible Arango and declared by President Ramon González Valencia . North Santander has a varied geography and is composed by mountainous areas, deserts, plateaus, plains and hills. The landscapes and climates are fertile. The territory is crossed by rivers and lagoons. The department comprises three natural regions. The Eastern Mountain range, begins in the site known as Naked Santurbán and becomes
3854-496: The Spaniard Pedro de Ursúa in 1549. The discovered gold mines attracted a series of conquerors as well as adventurers. Founded in 1549 as a captaincy, the city of Pamplona served as a strategic expeditionary center where the founding of cities in Colombia and Venezuela was declared, in this city was established the first Catholic archdiocese of Northeastern Colombia. During colonial times, the city of Ocaña, founded in 1570,
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3948-452: The Uribe administration. Focused mainly on the provision of national highways, the program was led by former vice-president Germán Vargas Lleras. In 2015, Colombia's Congress limited presidency to single term, preventing the president from seeking re-election. Talks between the government and the guerrillas resulted in the announcement of a peace agreement. However, a referendum to ratify
4042-501: The armed forces. Following administrations had to contend with the guerrillas, paramilitaries, narcotics traffickers and the violence and corruption that they all perpetuated, both through force and negotiation. Narcoterrorists assassinated three presidential candidates before César Gaviria was elected in 1990. Since the death of Medellín cartel leader Pablo Escobar in a police shootout during December 1993, indiscriminate acts of violence associated with that organization have abated as
4136-1992: The best architectural project of the department in the VII Regional Architecture Exhibition Juvenal Moya 2020, organized by the Colombian Society of Architects [ es ] . The department of Norte de Santander is divided into 6 regions. Typical dishes offered in the department include Mute , Hayacas , of extended and rectangular form, the Cabrito , that is consumed roasted or cooked, soy (chick-pea) pies, empanadas and maize . Other dishes are rampuche and panche . [REDACTED] Amazonas [REDACTED] Antioquia [REDACTED] Arauca [REDACTED] Atlántico [REDACTED] Bolívar [REDACTED] Boyacá [REDACTED] Caldas [REDACTED] Caquetá [REDACTED] Casanare [REDACTED] Cauca [REDACTED] Cesar [REDACTED] Chocó [REDACTED] Córdoba [REDACTED] Cundinamarca [REDACTED] Guainía [REDACTED] Guaviare [REDACTED] Huila [REDACTED] La Guajira [REDACTED] Magdalena [REDACTED] Meta [REDACTED] Nariño [REDACTED] N. Santander [REDACTED] Putumayo [REDACTED] Quindío [REDACTED] Risaralda [REDACTED] San Andrés [REDACTED] Santander [REDACTED] Sucre [REDACTED] Tolima [REDACTED] Valle del Cauca [REDACTED] Vaupés [REDACTED] Vichada Capital district: [REDACTED] Bogotá History of Colombia The history of Colombia includes its settlement by indigenous peoples and
4230-532: The black and mulatto population comprising 1.8%, the indigenous population with 0.60%, the Raizal population 0.01%, and the Romani population with 0.02%. The economy of the department of Norte de Santander contributes 1.8% of Colombia's GDP. As a border department, part of Norte de Santander's economy depends on the service sector, including finance and commerce. The primary sector of the economy contributes 29.3% to
4324-608: The constitutional court blocked President Alvaro Uribe from seeking for a new re-election. Uribe left the presidency in 2010. In 2010 Juan Manuel Santos was elected president; he was supported by ex-president Uribe, and he owed his election mainly through having won over former Uribe supporters. But two years after winning the presidential election, Santos (to widespread surprise) began peace talks with FARC. which took place in Havana. Re-elected in 2014, Santos revived an important infrastructure program, which had been planned during
4418-547: The construction of the aerial lift immediately in 1925, the English engineer James F. Lindsay was in charge of the direction of the construction. The aerial lift was inaugurated on 7 August 1929. The aerial lift lasted 20 years in use, and then fell into disuse when several new roads were opened. In October 1971, the Camilo Daza International Airport was inaugurated. The airport was recognized as
4512-466: The controversial 2006 project to give President Álvaro Uribe the right to be re-elected), and a relative lack of freely allocated funds and credits. In October 2006, Uribe was re-elected by a landslide. Some critical observers consider in retrospect that Uribe's policies, while admittedly reducing crime and guerrilla activity, were too slanted in favor of a military solution to Colombia's internal war, neglecting grave social and human rights concerns to
4606-689: The country adopted its present name: "Republic of Colombia". Two political parties grew out of conflicts between the followers of Bolívar and Santander and their political visions—the Conservatives and the Liberals – and have since dominated Colombian politics. Bolívar's supporters, who later formed the nucleus of the Conservative Party, sought strong centralized government, alliance with the Roman Catholic Church , and
4700-593: The country's problems. Although the FARC and ELN accepted participation in the peace process, they did not make explicit commitments to end the conflict. The FARC suspended talks in November 2000, to protest what it called "paramilitary terrorism" but returned to the negotiating table in February 2001 following 2 days of meetings between President Pastrana and FARC leader Manuel Marulanda. The Colombian Government and ELN in early 2001 continued discussions aimed at opening
4794-511: The country. After two years of this, The Economic Openness program was initiated by his administration, which would open Colombian markets to the world and recharge the country's economy. He served one 4-year term. When he left the Presidency in 1990, he served as ambassador to Britain again until 1992. Barco was diagnosed with cancer and he died on May 20, 1997, in Bogotá when he was 75. He
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#17327649603134888-605: The deal was unsuccessful. Afterward, the Colombian government and the FARC signed a revised peace deal in November 2016, which the Colombian congress approved. In 2016, President Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize . The Government began a process of attention and comprehensive reparation for victims of conflict. Colombia under President Santos showed some progress in the struggle to defend human rights, as expressed by HRW . A Special Jurisdiction of Peace
4982-404: The debate surrounding the constitutional prohibition of extradition, which later was reversed), but together with the reincorporation of some of the guerrilla groups to the legal political framework, the new Constitution inaugurated an era that was both a continuation and a gradual, but significant, departure from what had come before. Contacts with the FARC, which had irregularly continued despite
5076-410: The design of the temple is of Gothic architecture, also it was one of the first churches built after the 1875 Cúcuta earthquake . In the southwestern part of Norte de Santander is the city of Pamplona, which has the Museo Casa Colonial , one of the oldest museums in the department. In the 1870s, the Cucutá Railroad was built, which helped connect the area where coffee was grown in the department with
5170-417: The dissolution of Great Colombia; again in 1854 (by General José María Melo ); and from 1953 to 1957 (under General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla ). Civilian rule was restored within one year in the first two instances. Notwithstanding the country's commitment to democratic institutions, Colombia's history has also been characterized by widespread, violent conflict. Two civil wars resulted from bitter rivalry between
5264-450: The drug lords, who were engaged in a campaign of terrorism and murder in response to government moves in favor of their extradition overseas. The UP also suffered an increasing number of losses during this term (including the assassination of presidential candidate Bernardo Jaramillo ), which stemmed both from private proto- paramilitary organizations, increasingly powerful drug lords and a number of would-be paramilitary-sympathizers within
5358-402: The drug lords. The first negotiated cease-fire with the M-19 ended when the guerrillas resumed fighting in 1985, claiming that the cease-fire had not been fully respected by official security forces, saying that several of its members had suffered threats and assaults, and also questioning the government's real willingness to implement any accords. The Betancur administration, in turn, questioned
5452-400: The east and north, by Santander Department and Boyacá Department to the south, and by Santander Department and Cesar Department to the west. The official department name is " Departamento de Norte de Santander " (North Santander Department) in honor of Colombian military and political leader Francisco de Paula Santander , who was born and raised near Cúcuta. North Santander Department
5546-413: The elections for a Constituent Assembly of Colombia that would write a new constitution, which took effect in 1991. The new Constitution brought about a considerable number of institutional and legal reforms based on principles that the delegates considered as more modern, humanist, democratic and politically open than those in the 1886 constitution. Practical results were mixed and mingled emerged (such as
5640-423: The ensuing crossfire that followed the military's reaction, scores of people lost their lives, as did most of the guerrillas, including several high-ranking operatives. Both sides blamed each other for the outcome. Meanwhile, individual FARC members initially joined the UP leadership in representation of the guerrilla command, though most of the guerrilla's chiefs and militiamen did not demobilize nor disarm, as that
5734-413: The establishment of agrarian societies, notably the Muisca Confederation , Quimbaya Civilization , and Tairona Chiefdoms . The Spanish arrived in 1499 and initiated a period of annexation and colonization, ultimately creating the Viceroyalty of New Granada , with its capital at Bogotá . Independence from Spain was won in 1819, but by 1830 the resulting " Gran Colombia " Federation was dissolved. What
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#17327649603135828-407: The first city where Simón Bolívar defeated the royalist troops. In Villa del Rosario, the Congress of 1821 was established where the creation of the Republic of Colombia was established. In April 1850, when the Republic of New Granada was born with 5 departments and 19 provinces. Santander was formed as a province with San José de Cúcuta its capital. In 1857 the sovereign Department of Santander
5922-448: The first expedition of Alonso de Ojeda arrived at the Cabo de la Vela . The Spanish made several attempts to settle along the north coast of today's Colombia in the early 16th century, but their first permanent settlement, at Santa Marta , dates from 1525. The Spanish commander Pedro de Heredia founded Cartagena on June 1, 1533, in the former location of the indigenous Caribbean Calamarí village. Cartagena grew rapidly, fueled first by
6016-452: The fiscal deficit and the impact of global financial instability on Colombia. During his administration, unemployment has risen to over 20%. Additionally, the growing severity of countrywide guerrilla attacks by the FARC and ELN. and smaller movements, as well as the growth of drug production, corruption and the spread of even more violent paramilitary groups such as the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia ( AUC ) has made it difficult to solve
6110-420: The forced Spanish monopoly in more expensive silks and porcelain made in homeland Spain. In 1717, the Viceroyalty of New Granada was originally created, and then it was temporarily removed, to finally be reestablished in 1739. Felipe Salonga a rebel Filipino who mixed Christianity with Islam and was from the formerly Muslim kingdom Manila and who was implicated in the Tondo Conspiracy , was presumably exiled to
6204-407: The former Viceroyalty of New Granada. Bolívar was elected the first president of Gran Colombia and Santander, vice president. As the Federation of Gran Colombia was dissolved in 1830, the Department of Cundinamarca (as established in Angostura) became a new country, the Republic of New Granada . In 1863 the name of the Republic was changed officially to " United States of Colombia ," and in 1886
6298-430: The gastronomy and traditional medicine used in the municipality. In the eastern part of the department is the Historical Complex of Villa del Rosario, this includes Casa Natal del General Santander (lit., "Birth house of General Santander") and the Bagatela (known as the Government House). In the San Luis neighborhood, one of the oldest neighborhoods of Cúcuta, is the San Luís Gonzaga Basilica, [ es ] ,
6392-402: The generalized de facto interruptions of the ceasefire and the official 1987 break from negotiations, were temporarily cut off in 1990 under the presidency of César Gaviria (1990–1994). The Colombian Army's assault on the FARC's Casa Verde sanctuary at La Uribe , Meta , followed by a FARC offensive that sought to undermine the deliberations of the Constitutional Assembly, began to highlight
6486-409: The gold in the tombs of the Sinú Culture, and later by trade. The thirst for gold and land lured Spanish explorers to visit Chibchan-speaking areas; resulting in the Spanish conquest of the Chibchan Nations - the conquest by the Spanish monarchy of the Chibcha language -speaking nations, mainly the Muisca and Tairona who inhabited present-day Colombia , beginning the Spanish colonization of
6580-442: The government and security authorities increasingly accused the FARC of continuing to recruit guerrillas. as well as kidnapping, extorting and politically intimidating voters even as the UP was already participating in politics. The Virgilio Barco (1986–1990) administration, in addition to continuing to handle the difficulties of the complex negotiations with the guerrillas, also inherited a particularly chaotic confrontation against
6674-422: The government, in the long term, to focus more actively on reducing most wide-scale abuses and human rights violations on the part of both the armed groups and any rogue security forces that might have links to the paramilitaries. In short, these supporters maintained that the security situation needed to be stabilized in favor of the government before any other social concerns could take precedence. In February 2010,
6768-521: The guerrillas when several of its rural bases began to be overrun and a record number of soldiers and officers were taken prisoner by the FARC (which since 1982 was attempting to implement a more "conventional" style of warfare. seeking to eventually defeat the military in the field). On August 7, 1998, Andrés Pastrana was sworn in as the President of Colombia. A member of the Conservative Party, Pastrana defeated Liberal Party candidate Horacio Serpa in
6862-628: The idea of the Sustainable Development Goals and a final document was adopted by the United Nations . In February 2019, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro cut diplomatic relations with Colombia after Colombian President Ivan Duque helped Venezuelan opposition politicians deliver humanitarian aid to their country. Colombia recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's legitimate president. In January 2020, Colombia rejected Maduro's proposal that
6956-479: The insurgents, and negotiated a 1984 cease-fire with the FARC and M-19 after a 1982 release of many guerrillas imprisoned during the previous effort to overpower them. The ELN rejected entering any negotiation and continued to recover itself through the use of extortions and threats, in particular against foreign oil companies of European and U.S. origin. As these events were developing, the growing illegal drug trade and its consequences were also increasingly becoming
7050-517: The location of what is now the Viceroyalty of New Granada (Named after a formerly Islamic kingdom in Spain) in the Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada he fomented opposition against Spain among the oppressed Native Americas. The Viceroyalty had Santa Fé de Bogotá as its capital. This Viceroyalty included some other provinces of northwestern South America which had previously been under the jurisdiction of
7144-735: The main sites of the municipality is the Historical Complex of the Great Convention and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Graces of Torcoroma [ es ] . Other tourist sites located in the western part of the department include Los Estoraques Unique Natural Area near La Playa de Belén. In the southwestern part of the department is the Casa de la Cultura Manuel Briceño Jáuregui in Chinácota, which has photographs about
7238-416: The persistent insurgencies that sought to undermine Colombia's traditional political system. Both groups claimed to represent the poor and weak against the rich and powerful classes of the country, demanding the completion of true land and political reform. from an openly Communist perspective. By 1974, another challenge to the state's authority and legitimacy had come from 19th of April Movement (M-19),
7332-515: The presidential election . On 7 August 2018, he was sworn in as the new President of Colombia . Colombia's relations with Venezuela have fluctuated due to the ideological differences between both governments. Colombia has offered humanitarian support with food and medicines to mitigate the shortage of supplies in Venezuela. Colombia's Foreign Ministry said that all efforts to resolve Venezuela's crisis should be peaceful. Colombia proposed
7426-627: The pro-independence forces in the Venezuelan llanos . From there he led an army over the Andes and captured New Granada after a quick campaign that ended at the Battle of Boyacá on August 7, 1819. ( For more information. see Military career of Simón Bolívar .) That year, the Congress of Angostura established the Republic of Gran Colombia, which included all territories under the jurisdiction of
7520-563: The site of Muisca village of Bacatá. In 1549, the institution of the Spanish Royal Audiencia in Bogotá gave that city the status of capital of New Granada , which comprised in large part what is now the territory of Colombia. As early as the 1500s however, secret anti-Spanish discontentment was already brewing for Colombians since Spain prohibited direct trade between the Viceroyalty of Peru , which included Colombia , and
7614-545: The territory that is now Colombia by 10.500 BCE. Nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes at the El Abra and Tequendama sites near present-day Bogotá traded with one another and with other cultures from the Magdalena River Valley . Serranía La Lindosa, a mountainous region of Guaviare Department , is known for an extensive prehistoric rock art site which stretches for nearly eight miles. The site near to
7708-480: The time known as "Regeneration", changed the name of the country and again it was known as the Republic of Colombia. The area was still known as Santander and was part of the provinces of Cúcuta, Ocaña, Pamplona, Charalá, García Rovira, Guanentá, Soto, Socorro and Vélez. In 1905, the department was divided into two and for a time, Santander had Cúcuta, Ocaña, River of Gold, Pamplona, García Rovira, Santos and Fortúl provinces. A new political division came in 1908 and as
7802-411: The two countries restore diplomatic relations. The 19 June 2022 election run-off vote ended in a win for former guerrilla Gustavo Petro , taking 50.47% of the vote compared to 47.27% of right-wing Rodolfo Hernández . The single-term limit for the country's presidency prevented president Iván Duque from seeking re-election. Petro became the country's first leftist president-elect. On 7 August 2022, he
7896-675: The two parties would have parity in all other elective offices. The National Front ended " La Violencia ," and National Front administrations attempted to institute far-reaching social and economic reforms in cooperation with the Alliance for Progress. In particular, the Liberal president Alberto Lleras Camargo (1958–1962) created the Colombian Institute for Agrarian Reform (INCORA), and Carlos Lleras Restrepo (1966–1970) further developed land entitlement. In 1968 and 1969 alone,
7990-523: The upper house of Congress in 1958, left to become the ambassador to Britain in 1961, and returned to Colombia in 1962. He served another term in the Senate until 1966, when he was elected mayor of Colombia's capital, Bogotá . He served in that position until 1969, when he became a director of the World Bank until 1974. He then served as ambassador to the United States from 1977 until 1980. Barco
8084-500: Was created and its capital was Pamplona. As of December of that year, the capital was transferred to Bucaramanga. In May 1858, the Republic of Colombia was denominated Granadina Confederation, including eight Departments, including the one of Santander. In 1863 it was decided in the National Convention of Rio Negro, to change the name of the country to the United States of Colombia. The Political Constitution of 1886, at
8178-430: Was created to investigate, clarify, prosecute and punish serious human rights violations and grave breaches of international humanitarian law which occurred during the armed conflict and to satisfy victims' right to justice . During his visit to Colombia, Pope Francis paid tribute to the victims of the conflict. In May 2018, Ivan Duque , the candidate of the conservative Centro Democrático ( Democratic Centre ), won
8272-406: Was elected president of Colombia with 58% of the vote in 1986. He supported anti-poverty programs , renewed dialogue with leftist guerillas and fought drug traffickers. Though he was popular within the international community, he became less popular in Colombia because the drug traffickers became more violent after he started to move against them. His restrictive economic policies at first doomed
8366-480: Was later confirmed as the fraudulent election of Conservative candidate Misael Pastrana in 1970, which resulted in the defeat of the relatively populist candidate and former president (dictator) Gustavo Rojas Pinilla . The M-19 guerrilla movement, "Movimiento 19 de Abril" (19 April Movement), would eventually be founded in part as a response to this particular event. The FARC was formed in 1964 by Manuel Marulanda Vélez and other Marxist–Leninist supporters after
8460-520: Was met with further violence, as the Medellín Cartel and its hitmen bribed or murdered numerous public officials, politicians and others who stood in its way by supporting the implementation of extradition of Colombian nationals to the U.S. Victims of cartel violence included Justice Minister Rodrigo Lara , whose assassination in 1984 made the Betancur administration begin to directly oppose
8554-423: Was not a requirement of the process at that point in time. Tension soon significantly increased as both sides began to accuse each other of not respecting the cease-fire. Political violence against FARC and UP members (including presidential candidate Jaime Pardo ) was blamed on drug lords and also on members of the security forces (to a much lesser degree on the argued inaction of Betancur administration). Members of
8648-530: Was overthrown by the military in 1957 with the backing of both political parties, and a provisional government was installed. In July 1957, former Conservative President Laureano Gómez (1950–1953) and former Liberal President Alberto Lleras (1945–1946. 1958–1962) issued the "Declaration of Sitges," in which they proposed a "National Front," whereby the Liberal and Conservative parties would govern jointly. The presidency would be determined by an alternating conservative and liberal president every 4 years for 16 years;
8742-457: Was then elected to the lower house of Congress, but went into exile to the US in 1950 because of violence between liberals and conservatives. His daughter, Carolina Barco Isakson (who would later become a Colombian politician herself) was born there. He obtained an M.A. in economics at MIT, where he took classes under Nobel prize winners Robert Solow and Paul Samuelson in 1952. In 1954 he obtained
8836-541: Was used as a connection point between the Colombian Caribbean area and the capital of the province of Pamplona. Pamplona was the site of several independence movements, which is why one of the names the city has been given is "Ciudad Patriota" (Patriot City). Ocaña served as a strategic point for the liberating troops. In Cucutá, it was the place where the Admirable Campaign began, it was also
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