Colombia

[NousDefionsDoc]

General Knowledge
CIA World Factbook - Colombia (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/co.html)

[NousDefionsDoc]

eln-voces.com
FarcEP.org

[NousDefionsDoc]

Army (http://www.ejercito.mil.co/)
National Police (http://www.policia.gov.co/)
DAS (http://www.das.gov.co/)

[NousDefionsDoc]

Pais Libre - Anti-Kidnapping NGO (http://www.paislibre.org:8080/)

[Airbornelawyer]

Army (http://www.ejercito.mil.co/)
National Police (http://www.policia.gov.co/)
DAS (http://www.das.gov.co/)
Additional defense and security forces links:
Ministerio de Defensa Nacional (http://www.mindefensa.gov.co/) - Ministry of Defense
Comando General de las Fuerzas Militares (http://www.fuerzasmilitares.mil.co/) - Armed Forces Command
Ejército Nacional de Colombia (http://www.ejercito.mil.co) - Army

Primera División del Ejército (http://www.primeradivision.mil.co/) - 1st Division
Segunda División del Ejército (http://www.segundadivision.mil.co/) - 2nd Division
Quinta División del Ejército (http://www.quintadivision.mil.co/) - 5th Division

Armada Nacional (http://www.armada.mil.co/) - Navy
Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (http://www.fac.mil.co/) - Air Force
Policía Nacional (http://www.policia.gov.co/) - National Police
Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad (http://www.das.gov.co/) - Administrative Department for Security


Escuela de Inteligencia y Contrainteligencia (http://www.esici.mil.co/) - School of Intelligence and Counterintelligence
Universidad Militar Nueva Granada (http://www.umng.edu.co/) - Nueva Granada Military University

[Airbornelawyer]

Additional general resources, statistics and overviews:

Country guides from various diplomatic services: U.S. State Department: Background Note: Colombia (http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35754.htm)

U.S. Embassy, Bogotá: About Colombia (http://bogota.usembassy.gov/wwwscolo.shtml)

Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs: Country Information: Colombia (http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/latinamerica/colombia-en.asp)

U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Country Profile: Colombia (http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365&a=KCountryProfile&aid=1023977766424)

France, Ministère des Affaires étrangères:

Germany, Auswärtiges Amt: [url=http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/www/de/laenderinfos/laender/laender_ausgabe_html?type_id=14&land_id=82]Kolumbien (]Colombie[/url)
Library of Congress: Colombia: A Country Study (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cotoc.html) - Note: this was published in 1990, so should only be referenced for non-dated information.

Wikipedia entry: Colombia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombia) - Note: wikis may be edited by anyone, so while the information here may be more up-to-date, there are also reliability issues, as persons may alter information. Any information on a controversial topic, such as narcotics trafficking or the role of the autodefensas, should be verified by other sources.

EDITED TO ADD: Country Profile from the Library of Congress: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Colombia.pdf . Basically, a 26-page country study updating and summarizing the main country study. PDF format. Dated December 2004.

[Airbornelawyer]

Geography resources:

Colombia maps (http//www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/colombia.html) from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas. Assorted maps, mainly from the CIA and other U.S. government agencies.

Colombia maps (http://www.igac.gov.co/mapas.htm) from the Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi (http://www.igac.gov.co). Numerous maps, including provincial and thematic maps. Maps are in PDF format.

[Roguish Lawyer]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/09/27/colombia.divorce.ap/index.html

Colombia to offer one-hour divorces

Tuesday, September 27, 2005; Posted: 12:17 p.m. EDT (16:17 GMT)

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- A new Colombian law would allow married couples to untie the knot in as little as one hour and for a mere $15, bypassing costly lawyer fees, legal hurdles and the prolonged delays most unhappy couples can expect before a divorce.

The measure, passed by Congress in July, is expected to be signed into law by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe within coming weeks, Uribe's office said Monday.

"The aim is to make life easier for Colombians," Manuel Cuello, superintendent of the National Registrar, said. "Getting divorced should not be such a bureaucratic ordeal."

The proposal was a response to the mounting backlog of divorce cases that are tying up the courts, Cuello said. More than 1 million couples are waiting to have their cases settled.

Under the new law, couples without minor children would no longer need to appear before a judge, but can instead head to their local registrar office with a jointly signed declaration that would then be stamped by an official within one hour. Both parties must agree to the divorce.

A separate declaration must be drawn up spelling out any division of assets. For couples with children, custody plans must be explained to a family affairs official who would then issue a certificate authorizing the divorce or send the case to the courts.

The measure would apply only to Colombians, and to foreigners married to Colombians if the wedding took place in Colombia, the national registrar's office said.

Catholic Church officials object, insisting the measure will only encourage couples to resort to divorce rather than work out their differences.

"It will precipitate the deterioration of the family," said Monsignor Juan Vicente Cordoba, auxiliary bishop of the northern city of Bucaramanga. "We will end up with a more unstable society and unstable children. Marriage vows should not be taken lightly."

Cuello said the pending law has generated considerable interest. "We have had hundreds of impatient couples asking to be divorced at notary offices, but we have to explain that there are still some legal procedures to be completed before the measure takes effect," he said.

[pulque]

So? how is that of interest to SF?

[Roguish Lawyer]

So? how is that of interest to SF?

What institutions have important influence in Colombia? What happens when the government adopts policies that are contrary to the wishes of those institutions?

[Cincinnatus]

Nice recovery, counselor. :D

[NousDefionsDoc]

This is a very big deal...

Colombia's Uribe Given Green Light to Run
By CESAR GARCIA, Associated Press Writer Fri Nov 11, 8:42 PM ET
BOGOTA, Colombia - Colombia's highest court approved a law Friday that clears the way for popular President Alvaro Uribe to run for a second term next year.
Polls show that Uribe, a close U.S. ally, would sweep to victory in next May's presidential race thanks to his tough policies against leftist rebels and drug traffickers.
The Constitutional Court ruled that the Electoral Guarantees Law, which was passed by Congress last year to set out the rules for sitting presidents to compete in elections, was constitutional, said the court president Jose Manuel Cepeda.
The decision removes the final hurdle for Uribe to put his name on the ballot.
"We are obviously very pleased," said Interior and Justice Minister Sabas Pretelt.
This South American country has not seen a president elected to two consecutive terms since the 1800s. Critics of the measure say re-election has a poor track record in the region, with second-term leaders often veering toward authoritarianism.
But Uribe is hugely popular among Colombians and his supporters pushed legislation through Congress last year that lifts a long-standing ban on presidential re-election. That measure was approved by the Constitutional Court last month.
The court, however, set limits on Uribe's ability to use state funds and institutions to promote his re-election. It barred him from using the presidential palace as his campaign headquarters or have his speeches broadcast on the state's official television channel.
"The president has made clear that he will abide by all the court's requirements," Pretelt told RCN television.
Opposition leaders praised the court's decision to impose restrictions. "The court certainly improved the Electoral Guarantees Law" by ensuring greater fairness among contenders, said former Bogota Mayor Antanas Mockus, who is expected to run against Uribe.

[FILO]

This is a very big deal...



Agreed!