Politics of Colombia
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
| This article is part of a series on the |
| Politics of Colombia |
|---|
 |
The Politics of Colombia take place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Colombia is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is carried out by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives of Colombia. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Colombia a "flawed democracy" in 2019.[1][needs update] The government has recently committed many violations of the right to privacy by means of wiretapping civil society, journalists, human rights activists,opposition leaders and parties, and progressive individuals in government,exguerrilas,civil service, academics (especially those critical of Colombian policies -so much that Noam Chomsky had even declared it to be a form of political persecution and harassment or perhaps even a minor form of state terrorism though such comments are quite controversial and at times discouraged) society at large. That is viewed as a form of retaliation for having progressive and pro-peace views (to end decades of civil war that has contributed to millions dead and human rights abuses) especially at behest of the right wing political faction (perhaps with a certain US military support) and its attempts to keep power at all costs! Not to mention that the military of the country has recently been accused of intimidation of said individuals especially whistleblowers in their own ranks. [2] [3]
Constitutional reforms
Colombia's present constitution, enacted on July 5, 1991, strengthened the administration of justice with the provision for introduction of an adversarial system which ultimately is to entirely replace the existing Napoleonic Code. Other significant reforms[4] under the new constitution provide for civil divorce, dual nationality, the election of a vice president, and the election of departmental governors. The constitution expanded citizens' basic rights, including that of "tutela," under which an immediate court action can be requested by an individual if he or she feels that their constitutional rights are being violated and if there is no other legal recourse.
The national government has separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
Executive branch
The president is elected for a single four-year term. Between 2005 and 2015, the president could be re-elected for a second term. The 1991 constitution reestablished the position of vice president, who is elected on the same ticket as the president. By law, the vice president will succeed in the event of the president's resignation, illness, or death.
Legislative branch
Colombia's bicameral Congress consists of a 108-member Senate of Colombia and a 172-member Chamber of Representatives of Colombia. Senators are elected on the basis of a nationwide ballot, while representatives are elected in multi member districts co-located within the 32 national departments. The country's capital is a separate capital district and elects its own representatives. Members may be re-elected indefinitely, and, in contrast to the previous system, there are no alternate congressmen. Congress meets twice a year, and the president has the power to call it into special session when needed.
Political parties and elections
2018 Presidential election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Center | 
|
Iván Duque | 4,044,509 | 67.76% | |
| Independent | 
|
Marta Lucía Ramírez | 1,538,882 | 25.78% | |
| La Patria de Pie |
|
Alejandro Ordóñez | 385,110 | 6.45% | |
| Source: Semana | |||||
Duque won the nomination, and following his victory, he selected the runner-up, Ramírez, to be the alliance's vice presidential nominee.[5]
2018 Parliamentary election
House of Representatives
Senate
 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | |
| Democratic Center | 2,501,995 | 16.39 | 19 | |
| Radical Change | 2,142,040 | 14.03 | 16 | |
| Colombian Conservative Party | 1,931,140 | 12.65 | 14 | |
| Colombian Liberal Party | 1,886,895 | 12.36 | 14 | |
| Social Party of National Unity | 1,844,847 | 12.08 | 14 | |
| Green Alliance | 1,308,208 | 8.57 | 9 | |
| Alternative Democratic Pole | 722,987 | 4.74 | 5 | |
| List of Decency Coalition (ASI–UP–MAIS) | 519,262 | 3.40 | 3 | |
| Independent Movement of Absolute Renovation | 495,506 | 3.25 | 3 | |
| Fair and Free Colombia | 463,521 | 3.04 | 3 | |
| Citizen Option | 346,398 | 2.27 | 0 | |
| Partido Somos | 102,969 | 0.67 | 0 | |
| Todos Somos Colombia | 57,465 | 0.38 | 0 | |
| Common Alternative Revolutionary Force | 55,400 | 0.36 | 5 | |
| Union for Fortaleza | 34,275 | 0.22 | 0 | |
| Si Se Puede | 13,196 | 0.09 | 0 | |
| Presidential election runner-up | 1 | |||
| Blank votes | 841,212 | 5.51 | – | |
| Total | 15,267,316 | 100.00 | 106 | |
| Valid votes | 15,267,316 | 88.31 | ||
| Invalid votes | 2,021,188 | 11.69 | ||
| Total votes | 17,288,504 | 100.00 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 36,025,318 | 47.99 | ||
| Indigenous seats | ||||
| Indigenous and Social Alternative Movement | 74,023 | 14.63 | 1 | |
| Indigenous Authorities of Colombia | 38,633 | 7.64 | 1 | |
| Independent Social Alliance Movement | 23,372 | 4.62 | 0 | |
| Political Sovereignty Movement | 15,927 | 3.15 | 0 | |
| Casiyouren Traditional Authority | 4,961 | 0.98 | 0 | |
| Ethnic Renovation of Colombia | 4,567 | 0.90 | 0 | |
| Indigenous Environmental Movement | 2,254 | 0.45 | 0 | |
| Blank votes | 342,080 | 67.63 | – | |
| Total | 505,817 | 100.00 | 2 | |
| Source: El Mundo, MOE | ||||
Judicial branch
The civilian judiciary is a separate and independent branch of government. Guidelines and the general structure for Colombia's administration of justice are set out in Law 270 of March 7, 1996. Colombia's legal system has recently begun to incorporate some elements of an oral, accusatory system. The judicial branch's general structure is composed of four distinct jurisdictions (ordinary, administrative, constitutional, and special). Colombia's highest judicial organs are the Supreme Court, the Council of State, the Constitutional Court, and the Superior Judicial Council. Although all the high courts technically oversee separate jurisdictions, the Constitutional Court has a broad spectrum of judicial oversight which often allows it to rule on issues overseen by different jurisdictions and even weigh in directly in the rulings of other high courts.[6]
International organization participation
Global
Other
Regional
References
- ^ "Democracy Index 2022: Frontline democracy and the battle for Ukraine" (PDF). Economist Intelligence Unit. 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
- ^ wola. "Scandal Underscores Colombia's Inability to Reform Military Intelligence". WOLA. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
- ^ wola (2020-05-04). "Illegal Surveillance by Colombia's Military is Unacceptable". WOLA. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
- ^ Bruce M. Wilson, "Institutional Reform and Rights Revolutions in Latin America: The Cases of Costa Rica and Colombia", Journal of Politics in Latin America, ISSN 1868-4890
- ^ "2018 Colombian elections: A test for peace?" (PDF). European Parliamentary Research Service. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ Botero Marino, Botero Marino; Fernando Jaramillo. "El Conflicto de las Cortes Colombianas en Torno a la Tutela Contra Sentencias" (PDF). Retrieved 5 October 2015.
External links
- House of Representatives of Colombia
- Senate of Colombia
- Presidency of Colombia
- Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia
