Government and Politics of Colombia

Government Type

republic; executive branch dominates government structure

Administrative Divisions

32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital district* (distrito capital); Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlantico, Distrito Capital de 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

Legal System

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: least one parent must be a citizen or permanent resident of Colombia dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Gustavo PETRO Urrego (since 7 August 2022); Vice President Francia MARQUEZ Mina (since 7 August 2022); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Gustavo PETRO Urrego (since 7 August 2022); Vice President Francia MARQUEZ Mina (since 7 August 2022); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, drawing from a broad coalition that includes members of the Pacto Historico alliance and other allied political movements elections: president and vice president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; a runoff is held if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the first round; election last held on 29 May 2022, with a runoff on 19 June 2022 (next to be held in May 2026) election results: President Gustavo PETRO Urrego won the June 2022 runoff with approximately 50.4% of the vote, defeating Rodolfo HERNANDEZ Suarez; Vice President Francia MARQUEZ Mina was elected on the same ticket

Legislative Branch

Bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Senate or Senado (108 seats; 100 members elected by popular vote through national constituency, 2 seats reserved for indigenous communities, and 2 additional seats guaranteed to the runner-up presidential candidate and their running mate; members serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (172 seats; members are elected by popular vote through departmental and special constituencies to serve four-year terms). Elections: Senate - last held 13 March 2022 (next to be held in March 2026); House of Representatives - last held 13 March 2022 (next to be held in March 2026). Election results: Senate - seats by party - Pacto Historico 20, Partido Conservador Colombiano 15, Partido Liberal Colombiano 14, Cambio Radical 11, Partido de la U 10, Centro Democratico 13, and other parties and movements 25; House of Representatives - seats by party - Partido Liberal Colombiano 32, Pacto Historico 27, Partido Conservador Colombiano 25, Partido de la U 21, Cambio Radical 16, Centro Democratico 16, and other parties and movements 35.

Judicial Branch

four roughly coequal, supreme judicial organs; Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (highest court of criminal law; judges are selected by their peers from the nominees of the Superior Judicial Council for eight-year terms); Council of State (highest court of administrative law; judges are selected from the nominees of the Superior Judicial Council for eight-year terms); Constitutional Court (guards integrity and supremacy of the constitution; rules on constitutionality of laws, amendments to the constitution, and international treaties); Superior Judicial Council (administers and disciplines the civilian judiciary; resolves jurisdictional conflicts arising between other courts; members are elected by three sister courts and Congress for eight-year terms)

Political Parties

Colombian Communist Party or PCC [Jaime CAICEDO]; Conservative Party or PSC [Carlos HOLGUIN Sardi]; Democratic Pole or PDI [Samuel MORENO Rojas]; Liberal Party or PL [Cesar GAVIRIA] note: Colombia has about 60 formally recognized political parties, most of which do not have a presence in either house of Congress

Head of State

President Gustavo PETRO Urrego

Head of Government

President Gustavo PETRO Urrego

Cabinet

Cabinet consists of a coalition of the three largest parties that supported President URIBE’s reelection - the PSUN, PC, and CR - and independents

Elections

Senate - last held 13 March 2022 (next to be held in March 2026); House of Representatives - last held 13 March 2022 (next to be held in March 2026).

Election Results

Senate - seats by party - Pacto Historico 20, Partido Conservador Colombiano 15, Partido Liberal Colombiano 14, Cambio Radical 11, Partido de la U 10, Centro Democratico 13, and other parties and movements 25; House of Representatives - seats by party - Partido Liberal Colombiano 32, Pacto Historico 27, Partido Conservador Colombiano 25, Partido de la U 21, Cambio Radical 16, Centro Democratico 16, and other parties and movements 35.

Constitution

5-Jul-91

Independence

20 July 1810 (from Spain)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 20 July (1810)

International Organization Participation

BCIE, CAN, Caricom (observer), CDB, FAO, G-3, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Ambassador Andres PASTRANA chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-8338 FAX: [1] (202) 232-8643 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Washington, DC

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

chief of mission: Ambassador William B. WOOD embassy: Calle 22D-BIS, numbers 47-51, Apartado Aereo 3831 mailing address: Carrera 45 #22D-45, Bogota, D.C., APO AA 34038 telephone: [57] (1) 315-0811 FAX: [57] (1) 315-2197

Capital City

Bogota

Location

4 36 N, 74 05 W

Time Difference

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

History

originally referred to as "Bacata," meaning "enclosure outside of the farm fields," by the indigenous Muisca

U.S. Embassy Bogota Calle 24 Bis No. 48-50 Bogotá, D.C. Colombia. Mailing address: Carrera 45 No. 24B-27 Bogotá, D.C. Colombia. Telephone: (571) 275-2000 Emergency after-hours telephone: (571) 275-2701 Facsimile: (571) 275-4501. U.S. Consular Agency Barranquilla Calle 77B, No. 57-141, Piso 5, Centro Empresarial Las Americas, Barranquilla, Atlantico Telephone: (575) 353-2001 Facsimile: (575) 353-5216 For hours and services, please visit the U.S. Embassy Bogota website.

Military Branches

National Army (Ejercito Nacional), Republic of Colombia Navy (Armada Republica de Colombia, ARC, includes Naval Aviation, Naval Infantry (Infanteria de Marina, IM), and Coast Guard), Colombian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Colombia, FAC)

Service Age and Obligation

18-24 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; service obligation is 18 months