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New Kingdom of Granada
AD 1538 - 1717
When Christopher Columbus first landed in the Bahamas on 12 October 1492
he began a process of colonisation and empire-building on the part of
Spain. By 5 December 1492, Columbus had arrived at western
Hispaniola, where he
founded the colony of La Navidad and became its first viceroy. Then he
sailed to eastern Cuba. This
became the launch-pad for the creation of
New Spain, created when the
greatest Aztec city,
Tenochtitlan, was
defeated in 1521. European colonisation of central and South American could
begin in earnest.
The 'New Kingdom of Granada' (as opposed to the old kingdom of
Granada
in Spain)
was created to encompass the territories covering modern northern
and central Colombia, almost all of
Ecuador,
Costa Rica
and Panama, northern
Venezuela, and
north-western Guyana. These were conquered from native peoples which
included the Inca,
Muisca, Quimbaya, and Tairona between 1509 and 1520 and
collectively termed Nueva Reino de Granada, or simply Nueva Granada. On 29
July 1525, Santa Marta was founded, on 1 June 1533 Cartagena de Indias, and
on 6 August 1538 Fe de Bogota. The latter became the capital of the new
administration which was confirmed in 1543. Initially it was administered from
Peru, until it
became part of the viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717.
It was natives from either Columbia or Ecuador around AD 1200 who had
contact with Polynesian islanders (of later French Polynesia). The location
of the interaction is uncertain - whether it was on the South American coast
or on the islands is impossible to tell without some archaeology to provide
those clues - but DNA evidence (and the presence of the humble potato at
both ends of the linking route) published in 2020 shows that the interaction
took place around the given date.
(Additional information from External Link:
Indigenous Americans had contact with Polynesians 800 years ago, DNA
reveals (The Guardian).) |
1538 - 1539 |
Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada y
Rivera |
First governor of Granada. |
1539 - 1542 |
Hernan Perez de Quesada |
|
1542 - 1545 |
Alonso Luis de Lugo |
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1543 |
The province of Guatemala is defined by the establishment of a
Royal Audiencia, superseding the authority of
Panama over the southern
Central American region, which includes the provinces of Chiapas,
Costa Rica
(gained from New Granada),
El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, and
Nicaragua.
Further south, Colombia,
Ecuador, Panama, and
Venezuela, all part of
the New Kingdom of Granada, fall permanently under the administration of
Peru.
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The port of Mompos was founded by the Spanish in 1537 on the
banks of the Rio Magdalena
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1545 |
Luis Montalvo de Lugo |
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1545 - 1547 |
Pedro de Ursua |
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1547 - 1550 |
Miguel Diez de Armendariz |
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1549 - 1554 |
On 17 July 1549 the Royal Audiencia of Santa Fe de Bogota is founded as an
extension of the viceroyalty of
Peru. From 1550
the kingdom of Granada is governed by Audiencia until a new governor
and president of the Audiencia can be appointed. |
1564 - 1574 |
Andres Diaz Venero de Leiva |
First governor-president of the Royal Audiencia of
Granada. |
1574 - 1575 |
Gedeon de Hinojosa |
|
1575 |
Francisco Briceno |
Died 1575. |
1575 - 1578 |
Granada is governed by the Royal Audiencia until a new governor can be
selected. |
1578 - 1580 |
Lope Diez Aux de Armendariz |
|
1580 - 1582 |
Juan Bautista Monzon |
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1582 - 1585 |
Juan Prieto de Orellana |
|
1585 - 1590 |
Francisco Javier Guillen Chaparro |
|
1590 - 1597 |
Antonio Gonzalez |
|
1597 - 1602 |
Francisco de Sande Picon |
Died 1602. |
1602 - 1605 |
Nuno Nunez de Villavicencio |
|
1605 - 1628 |
Juan de Borja y Armendia |
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1628 - 1630 |
Granada is governed by the Royal Audiencia until a new governor can be
selected. |
1630 - 1637 |
Sancho Giron de Narvaez |
|
1637 - 1645 |
Martin de Saavedra Galindo de
Guzman |
|
1645 - 1654 |
Juan Fernandez de Cordoba y Coalla |
|
1654 - 1659 |
Dionisio Perez Manrique |
|
1659 - 1660 |
Juan Cornejo |
|
1660 - 1662 |
Dionisio Perez Manrique |
Second term of office. |
1662 - 1664 |
Diego de Egües y Beaumont |
Died 1664. |
1664 - 1666 |
Francisco de Leyva |
Acting governor. |
1666 - 1667 |
Diego del Corro y Carrascal |
|
1667 - 1671 |
Diego de Villalba
y Toledo |
Spanish
governor of New Granada (and of
Cuba 1647-1653). |
1670 |
The
English privateer Henry Morgan takes the
Peruvian port of Chagres,
before capturing and sacking
Panama City. The city is subsequently
destroyed by fire. Several complaints are made to
the Spanish
crown against Villalba's administration and he is replaced by Melchor Linan
y Cisneros, and later charged with robbing the dead. |
1671 - 1674 |
Melchor Linan y
Cisneros |
Interim governor of
New Granada (and viceroy of
Peru 1678-1681). |
1674 - 1678 |
Granada is governed by the Royal Audiencia until a new governor can be
selected. |
1678 - 1685 |
Francisco del Castillo de la Concha |
Died 1685. |
1685 - 1686 |
Sebastian Alfonso de Velasco |
|
1686 - 1691 |
Gil de Cabrera y Davalos |
|
1691 - 1694 |
Jose Merlo de la Fuente |
Acting governor. |
1694 - 1703 |
Gil de Cabrera y Davalos |
Second term of office. |
1703 - 1710 |
Diego de Cordoba Lasso de la Vega |
|
1710 - 1711 |
Francisco Cossio y Otero |
|
1711 - 1712 |
Diego de Cordoba Lasso de la Vega |
Second term of office. |
1712 - 1715 |
Francisco Meneses Bravo de Saravia |
|
1715 - 1717 |
Nicolas Infante de Venegas |
Acting governor. |
1717 |
Francisco del Rincon |
Archbishop of Santa Fe de Bogota, and acting governor. |
1717 |
Nicolas Infante de Venegas |
Second term of office as acting governor. |
1717 - 1718 |
Francisco del Rincon |
Archbishop of Santa Fe de Bogota, second term of office. |
1717 |
The viceroyalty of New Granada
is created from Peru's northern territories, Bogota,
Panama, and Quito. |
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Viceroyalty of New Granada
AD 1717 - 1810
The Spanish
viceroyalty of New Granada was created out of some of the northern
territories of Peru
on 27 May 1717,
namely Bogota, Cartagena de Indias, Guyana, Merida-La Grita, Panama, Popayan, Quito (modern
Ecuador), Santa Marta, and
Venezuela. It also extended
briefly into
Bolivia, Brazil,
and Peru. The new
administration became effective in 1718 but its initial existence was short-lived.
Following sixteen years of reincorporation into Peru it
was permanently re-established in 1740. |
1718 - 1719 |
Antonio Ignacio de la Pedrosa |
Acting viceroy. |
1719 - 1724 |
Jorge de Villalonga |
|
1724 |
The viceroyalty is terminated and New Granada is reincorporated back into Peru
until 1740. |
1724 - 1731 |
Antonio Manso Maldonado |
Governor-president. |
1731 - 1733 |
The civil commissioners of the Audiencia, Jose Martinez Malo, Jose Quintana Acebedo,
Jorge Lozano y Peralta, and Jose Castilla, govern Granada. |
1733 - 1737 |
Rafael de Eslava y Lazaga |
Died 1737. |
1737 - 1738 |
? |
Acting governor-president, name unknown. |
1738 |
Antonio Gonzalez Manrique |
Died 1738. |
1739 - 1740 |
Francisco Gonzalez Manrique |
|
1740 |
The viceroyalty is permanently re-established.
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The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Las Lajas in Ipiales is an example
of early twentieth century architecture, but it clearly
continues an established tradition of colonial building
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1740 - 1749 |
Sebastian de Eslava y Lazaga |
First re-established viceroy. |
1749 - 1753 |
Jose Alfonso Pizarro |
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1753 - 1761 |
Jose Solis Folch de Cardona |
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1761 - 1773 |
Pedro Messia de la Cerda |
|
1773 - 1776 |
Manuel de Guirior |
Spanish
viceroy of New Granada (and of Peru 1776-1780). |
1776 - 1781 |
Manuel Antonio Flores Maldonado |
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1782 |
Juan de Torrezal Diaz y Pimienta |
Died 1782. |
1782 - 1789 |
Juan Antonio Caballero y Gongora |
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1789 |
Francisco Gil de Taboada y Lemos |
|
1789 - 1797 |
Jose Manuel de Ezpeleta |
Spanish
viceroy of New
Granada (and of
Cuba 1785-1789). |
1797 - 1803 |
Pedro Mendinueta y Muzquiz |
|
1803 - 1810 |
Antonio Jose de Amar |
President of the supreme governing junta (from 1810). |
1810 |
Various wars of independence break out across the
Spanish
Americas, including
New Spain and
Guatemala.
Peru serves as a centre for the
royalist opposition to these revolts. The viceroy, Abascal, reincorporates
the provinces of Chile, Cordoba,
La Paz and Potosi (both in modern Bolivia), and Quito (part of New Granada).
Spanish governors remain in nominal command of Granada, but in opposition
to the United Provinces, and
'governing' from Panama. |
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United Provinces of New Granada
AD 1810 - 1816
The independence of New Granada was declared on 20 July 1810, and after two
false starts a congress of the United Provinces was convened in late 1811.
On
4 October 1812 the United Provinces of New Granada (Nueva Granada) were made
official as a federation which was governed by a parliamentary system with a
capital at Tunja. It consisted of Bogota (at the centre of modern
Colombia), Cartagena de Indias
(Colombia), Guyana (to the east of Venezuela), Merida-La Grita (eastern
Venezuela), Panama, Popayan, Quito (modern
Ecuador), Santa Marta, and
Venezuela itself. Quito remained a
Royalist stronghold throughout the wars of 1810-1821, which was natural
enough as it bordered
Peru, which
remained the base of Royalist operations until the end of Spanish suzerainty
in the Americas. |
1810 - 1812 |
Antonio Jose de Amar |
Former viceroy of New
Granada. |
1812 - 1814 |
Jose Camilo Clemente Torres
Tenorio |
President of the congress. |
1814 |
A three-member executive power is appointed to govern, with the presiding
member heading the administration.
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Thanks to France's occupation of Spain during the Napoleonic
Wars, Spain's colonies in the Americas quickly took the
opportunity to declare their independence
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1814 |
Jose Maria Eusebio Carlos del Rosario |
First presiding member of the executive power (acting). |
1814 - 1815 |
Jose Custodio Cayetano Garcia
Rovira |
First full presiding member of the executive power. |
1815 |
Jose Miguel Pey y Garcia de
Andrade |
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1815 |
Manuel Juan Robustiano |
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1815 - 1816 |
Jose Camilo Clemente Torres
Tenorio |
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1816 |
Jose Luis Alvaro Fernandez Madrid |
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1816 |
Liborio Jose Apolinar Mejia
Gutierrez |
Acting. Died 1816. |
1816 |
Jose Custodio Cayetano Garcia
Rovira |
Second term of office. |
1816 |
Manuel Fernando Serrano y Uribe |
|
1815 - 1816 |
The United Provinces are re-conquered by
Spain
on 18 December 1815. Much of
Granada is reincorporated back into Spanish colonial possessions, with the viceroyalty
being
re-established to govern it. |
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Viceroyalty of New Granada
AD 1816 - 1819
When the United Provinces were
formed in 1810, the
Spanish
viceroy became the first president of the supreme governing body. The
Spanish governorship retreated to
Panama where Benito Perez
Brito was appointed in
opposition to the parliamentary federation that was based in Tunja, although
he wasn't officially sworn in until March 1812. The title of viceroy was
revived by Spain in 1816, and on 18 December 1815, Granada was regained by
Spain and the viceroyalty was re-established. However, it never managed to
assert its authority over the entire territory and instead spent its short
existence fighting a war against rebels who were determined to throw off
Spanish rule forever. |
1810 - 1813 |
Benito Perez Brito |
Held governorship from Portobelo,
Panama. Died 1813. |
1813 - 1818 |
Francisco Montalvo y Ambulodi
Arriola |
Governor and captain-general until 1816, then viceroy. |
1818 - 1819 |
Juan Jose de Samano |
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1819 - 1821 |
Juan de la Cruz Mourgeon y Achet |
Titular viceroy only. Died 1822. |
1820 - 1821 |
On 8 September 1820, the Liberation Expedition of
Peru is organised in
Chile and
lands on the beach near the city of Pisco in Peru. Lima
is occupied on 21 July 1821 and the
independence of Peru (and therefore Spanish America) from
Spain
is proclaimed on 28 July. The republic of
Gran Colombia is formed just four
months later. |
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Gran Colombia
AD 1821 - 1831
The republic of Gran Colombia was formed by nationalist hero Simon Bolivar on 28 November 1821 after the fall
of the
Spanish administration of the colonies. Immediately the new
administration of
Panama, under Colonel Jose del Fabrega, opted to join the
republic, while the
Mexican empire was soon formed on Panama's northern border. Bolivar became
the new state's president
between 1821-1830. He also became president of
Peru between 1824-1826, and
Bolivia in 1825-1826. Trying to
prevent the break-up of Gran Colombia,
he proclaimed himself dictator on 27 August 1828, but he resigned on 27
April 1830 after an assassination attempt dented his confidence.
The name 'Gran Colombia' (Great Columbia) is one coined after the fact by
historians to describe the state that encompassed modern
Colombia,
Ecuador,
Panama and
Venezuela, rather than
the territory of a subsequent Republic of New Grenada, which held only
modern day Colombia and Panama (1831-1858). |
1821 - 1830 |
Simon Bolivar |
Also president of
Peru &
Bolivia. |
1828 - 1829 |
In trying to prevent the break-up of Gran Colombia, Simon Bolivar proclaims
himself dictator of
Bolivia on 27 August 1828, but
he resigns on 27 April 1830 after an assassination attempt dents his
confidence.
As Bolivar's dream of a united independent state of former colonies
crumbles. Peru fights Gran
Colombia over the latter's claim that its territory extends beyond the Andes
mountain range to the River Amazon, also including the Amazonian basin. The
war is ended with the Battle of Tarqui and the Treaty of Gual-Larrea being
signed on 22 September. The treaty specifies that the Colombian-Peruvian
border is to retain the line it bore under
Spanish
colonial control. (The later state of
Ecuador continues the
disagreement.)
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Simon Bolivar was proclaimed 'the Liberator' for his work in
freeing much of South America from Spanish colonial control,
although his attempts to forge a new 'super-state' from the
former colonies came to nothing
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1830 |
Internal stresses and strains prove too much for Gran Colombia, so
Ecuador,
Venezuela and other
territories leave, although
Panama
remains. |
1830 |
Domingo Caycedo y Sanz de Santamaria |
Acting president-liberator. |
1830 |
Joaquin Mariano de Mosquera |
|
1830 - 1831 |
Rafael Jose Urdaneta Faria |
Acting president-liberator. |
1831 |
Domingo Caycedo y Sanz de
Santamaria |
Second term of office as acting president-liberator. |
1831 |
Following the departure of
Ecuador and
Venezuela from Gran
Colombia, in July 1831 General Juan Eligio Alzuru proclaims the independence of
Panama. Under Colonel Tomas Herrera,
Gran Colombia's military forces defeat and
execute Alzuru and forcibly reincorporate Panama. However, the dissolution of Gran
Colombia is made official on 21 November 1831 when
Ecuador, New Granada and Venezuela all
form new republican governments. |
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Modern Colombia (Grenadine Confederation / New Granada)
AD 1831 - Present Day
Located in South America, the constitutional republic of Colombia borders
Panama to the north,
Venezuela
to the east, Ecuador and
Peru to the south-west,
and Brazil to the
south-east. The capital is Santa Fe de Bogota. The country's constitutional
republican origins date back to 1831, making it the oldest such government
in South America.
Colombia emerged from the disintegration of
Gran Colombia in 1830-1831, which
itself was a surviving portion of the
Spanish
colonial possession of the 'Kingdom of
New Granada'. On 21 November
1831, Colombia formed the 'State of New Granada', which included
Panama and
which was headed by an elected president. On 20 April 1843 this was renamed
the 'Republic of New Granada', but more name changes were to follow. The
republic was dissolved and on 22 May 1858 replaced by the 'Grenadine Confederation'.
On 18 July 1861, the confederation became the 'United States of New Granada'.
Just two months later it was renamed the 'United States of Colombia', on 20
September 1861. Finally, on 5 August 1886, the USC became the 'Republic of
Colombia'.
Panama remained a Columbian province until 1902-1903, when the
USA decided to intervene
in order to secure its own interests in the region, namely the Panama Canal.
Panama was encouraged to declare itself a republic which was independent of
Colombia and was protected by US troops.
It was natives from either Columbia or Ecuador around AD 1200 who had
contact with Polynesian islanders (of later French Polynesia), as shown by
DNA evidence in 2020.
(Additional information from External Link:
Indigenous Americans had contact with Polynesians 800 years ago, DNA
reveals (The Guardian).) |
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1840 - 1841 |
Panama again
declares its independence under the leadership of General Tomas Herrera (the
anti-hero of 1831), becoming the Free State of the Isthmus. The end of the
civil conflict which allows this breakaway in 1841 also allows the peaceful
reincorporation of the isthmus into New Granada.
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The Federal Republic of Central America was formed of Chiapas,
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
This lasted from 1823-1841, by which time Mexico had grabbed
much of Chiapas and the republic itself dissolved into the
separate nation states known today - although Nicaragua did not
control the independent Mosquito Coast until the end of the
century, and British troops occupied eastern Belize (click or tap on
map to view full sized)
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1843 |
On 20 April the State of New Granada is renamed the Republic of New Granada. |
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1846 |
The signing of the Bidlack Mallarino Treaty between New Granada and the
USA ensures that
Panama will
remain within the republic, with both parties joining together to put down
liberalist attempts to create an independent state, with the USA gaining
rights to build railways and roads through the isthmus in return. |
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1858 |
The republic is dissolved and the Grenadine Confederation formed in its
place, in which the provinces of the confederation are organised as
sovereign states with their own local rulers. |
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1861 - 1863 |
After a two-year civil war the Granadine Confederation becomes the United
States of New Granada on 18 July, modelled on the format used by the
USA. Just two
months later, on 20 September, it is renamed again as the United States
of Colombia. It includes the territories of Antioquia, Bolivar, Boyaca,
Cauca, Cundinamarca, Magdalena,
Panama, Santander and
Tolima, and the territories of Caqueta, San Martin, Nevada and Motilones. |
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1886 |
The USC has never been stable, wracked by internal differences and civil
wars, so a new constitution is proclaimed by the ruling party, and the
United States of Colombia is abolished in favour of the Republic of
Colombia on 5 August.
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Issued during the period 1837-1846, this sixteen pesos coin was
struck at Bogata and Popayan and declares itself to be coinage
of the 'Republic of New Granada'
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1899 - 1902 |
The Thousand Days War ignites between the country's Liberal and
Conservative political parties when the latter are accused of retaining power
through rigged elections. The Liberals are defeated, but the Conservatives also
lose their appetite for the conflict, and peace is regained with the signing of
a treaty in 1902. |
1902 - 1903 |
The USA decides to take
control of and complete the abandoned
French
work on the Panama Canal. The Colombian government is naturally reluctant to
allow that level of control to fall outside its hands and refuses
permission. The US decides to support Panamanian demands for independence
and in 1903, the isthmus separates and becomes the republic of
Panama, with a small US
military force preventing Colombia from sending troops by sea to regain its
province. |
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1917 - 1918 |
Unlike many of its neighbours in the Americas, Colombia remains neutral
during the First World War against
Germany
and the
Austro-Hungarian
empire. |
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1922 - 1930 |
With the signing of the Treaty of Salomon-Lozano,
Peru agrees the borders
with Colombia by ceding all territory between the Putumayo and Caqueta
rivers. The treaty is only published in 1930. |
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1932 - 1933 |
By the end of September 1932, the Treaty of Salomon-Lozano has been declared
null and void and Peru and
Colombia prepare for war, although it is never announced as such. Before
hostilities can commence, the president of Peru is assassinated and his
replacement negotiates peace with Colombia (by 1934). |
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1943 - 1945 |
Following the declaration of the United Nations in 1942, Colombia joins the
Second World War as an ally of the
USA and
Great Britain on 26 July 1943, against
Japan,
Germany and
Italy. |
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1970s |
Powerful drugs cartels emerge in the country towards the end of the decade
and develop during the following decade, most notably the Medellín Cartel.
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Colombia became notorious in the late twentieth century for its
long-running war against various rebel groups, this one being
FARC, and its huge levels of drug trafficking
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1991 |
A new constitution is ratified after being drafted by the Constituent
Assembly of Colombia. |
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1998 - 2002 |
The president, Andres Pastrana, attempts to negotiate a solution to the
conflict between the state and the FARC guerrilla insurgency. Large swathes
of land are demilitarised in return for peace, known as the Plan Colombia
initiative, although as drug cartels continue to launch attacks from the
demilitarised zones, the plan's effectiveness is diminished. |
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