Foreign relations of Colombia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Colombia seeks diplomatic and commercial relations with all countries, regardless of their ideologies or political or economic systems. For this reason, the Colombian economy is quite open, relying on international trade and following guidelines given by international law.

Since 2008, Colombia's Ministry of Trade and Commerce has either reached or strengthened Bilateral Trade Agreements with South Korea, Japan and China[1] building stronger commerce interchange and development in the Pacific Rim.

Regional relations have also vastly improved under the Santos Administration (2010–2018). Issues however remain regarding spillover of the FARC leftist-terrorist group, being chased out of hiding in rural areas of Colombia and finding safe havens in non-monitored areas of bordering states. The FARC numbers have significantly diminished in the last decade, to an estimated 5,000–7,000. And while joint military collaboration has steadily increased with the bordering countries of Brazil, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela, there have been tensions between Colombia and Ecuador regarding the issue. In 2002, the Ecuadorian government closed its main border crossing with Colombia, restricting its hours of operation. Ecuador continues to voice its concerns over an influx of émigrés stemming from guerilla activity at its borders. Evidence has since emerged however, suggesting that a significant number of the FARC's foot soldiers in and around the Colombia–Ecuador border consist of Ecuadorian émigrés who joined the leftist terrorist group out of need.[2] Returning Ecuadorian émigrés have faced re-entry restrictions.

In 2012, relations with Nicaragua and Venezuela were tested over territorial island disputes. Bilateral committees are negotiating the dispute with Venezuela over waters in the Gulf of Venezuela.

Background

In 1969, Colombia formed what is now the Andean Community along with Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru (Venezuela joined in 1973, and Chile left in 1976).

In the 1980s, Colombia broadened its bilateral and multilateral relations, joining the Contadora Group, the Group of Eight (now the Rio Group), and the Non-Aligned Movement, which it chaired from 1994 until September 1998. In addition, it has signed free trade agreements with Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela.

Colombia has traditionally played an active role in the United Nations and the Organization of American States and in their subsidiary agencies. Former President César Gaviria became Secretary General of the OAS in September 1994 and was reelected in 1999. Colombia was a participant in the December 1994 and April 1998 Summits of the Americas and followed up on initiatives developed at the summit by hosting two post-summit, ministerial-level meetings on trade and science and technology.

Colombia regularly participates in international fora, including CICAD, the Organization of American States' body on money laundering, chemical controls, and drug abuse prevention. Although the Colombian Government ratified the 1988 UN Convention on Narcotics in 1994—the last of the Andean governments to do so—it took important reservations, notably to the anti-money-laundering measures, asset forfeiture and confiscation provisions, maritime interdiction, and extradition clauses. Colombia subsequently withdrew some of its reservations, most notably a reservation on extradition.

International relations

Disputes – international

Maritime boundary dispute with Venezuela in the Gulf of Venezuela; territorial disputes with Nicaragua over Archipelago de San Andrés y Providencia and Quita Sueño Bank.[3] The United States disputes sovereignty with Colombia over the Serranilla Bank and the Bajo Nuevo Bank. Quita Sueño Bank is claimed by the United States to be a submerged reef, and thus does not recognize the sovereignty of any nation over the bank.

Membership of international organizations

The major organizations in which Colombia is a member include: the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, Andean Pact, Caribbean Development Bank Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, G3 Free Trade Agreement, Group of 11, Group of 24, Group of 77, Inter-American Development Bank, International Atomic Energy Agency, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Chamber of Commerce, International Civil Aviation Organization, International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), International Development Association, International Finance Corporation, International Fund for Agricultural Development, International Labour Organization, International Maritime Organization, International Maritime Satellite Organization, International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Olympic Committee, International Organization for Migration, International Organization for Standardization, International Telecommunication Union, International Telecommunications Satellite Organization, International Trade Union Confederation, Latin American Economic System, Latin American Integration Association, Non-Aligned Movement, Organization of American States (OAS), Permanent Court of Arbitration, Rio Group, United Nations (UN), UN Conference on Trade and Development, UNESCO, UN Industrial Development Organization, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, Universal Postal Union, World Confederation of Labour, World Federation of Trade Unions, World Health Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, World Meteorological Organization, World Tourism Organization, and World Trade Organization.[4] An OAS observer has monitored the government's peace process with the paramilitaries, lending the negotiations much-needed international credibility.[4] The United States helps Colombia secure favorable treatment from the IMF.[citation needed]

Major international treaties

Regional treaties include the Andean Pact, now known as the Andean Community, which also includes Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru, the bodies and institutions making up the Andean Integration System (AIS). Colombia has signed free-trade agreements with Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela.[5]

Its recent trade agreements with Korea, China and Japan, have focused on economic and technical cooperation between those nations.[citation needed] Within the regional Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom), Colombia has also deepened economic and medical science research collaboration agreements.[citation needed] Colombia has also signed and ratified 105 international treaties or agreements relating to the protection of the environment.[4] These include the Antarctic Treaty and Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and conventions on Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, and Wetlands.[4] It has signed, but not ratified, the Antarctic-Environmental Protocol and conventions on Law of the Sea and Marine Dumping.[4] Colombia also has signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Tlatelolco Treaty.[4] By 1975 signatories to the 1974 Declaration of Ayacucho, of which Colombia was one, had decided on limitations to nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.[4]

Gaining all 186 votes, Colombia served on the U.N. Security Council from 2011 to 2012 representing Latin American and the Caribbean.

Colombia is also a member of the International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the United States-military (as covered under Article 98).

Domestic politics and foreign policy

International Relations scholars long emphasized international constraints, and particularly Colombia's relationship with the United States, as central to its foreign policy.[6] In terms of foreign policy process, presidents have broad constitutional authorities, in consultation with their foreign ministers. However, since the 2000s, the influence of other domestic actors in Colombian foreign policy-making has increased. Long, Bitar, and Jiménez-Peña examine the role of the Colombian Constitutional Court, congressional politics, social movements, and electoral challengers. They find that Colombian institutions permit increasing challenges to presidential authority, and that in important cases Colombian presidents have been forced to drop their preferred foreign policies.[7]

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Colombia maintains diplomatic relations with:

More information #, Country ...
# Country Date[8][9][10][11][12]
1 United States 19 June 1822
2 Peru 6 July 1822
3 Chile 21 October 1822
4 Argentina 8 March 1823
5 Mexico 3 October 1823
6 Guatemala 8 March 1825
7 El Salvador 8 March 1825
8 Honduras 8 March 1825
9 Nicaragua 8 March 1825
10 United Kingdom 18 April 1825[13]
11 Netherlands 1 May 1829[14]
12 Venezuela 27 November 1831
13 Ecuador 10 February 1832
— Holy See 26 November 1835[15]
14 Costa Rica 11 June 1856
15 Portugal 9 April 1857
16 Italy 13 March 1864
17 Paraguay 27 July 1870
18 Belgium 20 June 1871[16]
19 Sweden 11 December 1874
20 Spain 30 January 1881
21 Uruguay 25 August 1888
22 France 30 May 1892[17]
23 Cuba 1902
24 Brazil 24 April 1907
25  Switzerland 14 March 1908
26 Japan 25 May 1908[18]
27 Bolivia 19 March 1912
28 Austria 10 January 1920
29 Panama 9 July 1924[19]
30 Denmark 18 May 1931
31 Poland 18 November 1933[20]
32 Czech Republic 17 April 1934[21]
33 Russia 25 June 1935
34 Norway 6 September 1935
35 Dominican Republic 18 July 1936[22]
36 Haiti 7 August 1936[23]
37 Ethiopia 1 January 1937
38 Greece 1 January 1942
39 Philippines 1 January 1946
40 Lebanon 14 June 1949
41 Canada 6 October 1952[24]
42 Germany 13 January 1953[25]
— Sovereign Military Order of Malta 28 January 1953
43 Finland 26 May 1954
44 Egypt 23 January 1957
— Israel (suspended) 1 July 1957[26]
45 Turkey 10 April 1959
46 India 19 January 1959
47 South Korea 10 March 1962
48 Kuwait 26 December 1964
49 Ivory Coast 22 February 1965[27]
50 Rwanda 22 February 1965
51 Jamaica 24 February 1965
52 Cyprus 11 February 1966
53 Serbia December 1966
54 Romania 15 November 1967
55 Trinidad and Tobago 22 February 1968
56 Pakistan 19 June 1970
57 Guyana 18 December 1970
58 Luxembourg 21 April 1971[28]
59 Barbados 1 February 1972
60 Cambodia 16 December 1972
61 Hungary 28 March 1973
62 Bulgaria 8 May 1973
63 Australia 9 January 1975
64 Kenya 27 January 1975
65 Iran 28 April 1975
66 United Arab Emirates 1 January 1976
67 Bahamas 16 August 1977
68 New Zealand 1 May 1978
69 Suriname 22 June 1978[29]
70 Algeria 1 January 1979
71 Iraq 1 January 1979
72 Morocco 1 January 1979
73 Nigeria 1 January 1979
74 Vietnam 1 January 1979
75 Thailand 22 January 1979
76 Albania 5 December 1979
77 China 7 February 1980
78 Indonesia 15 September 1980
79 Dominica 9 December 1980
80 Grenada 9 January 1981
81 Tunisia 20 January 1981
82 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 17 March 1981
83 Equatorial Guinea 6 May 1981[30]
84 Gabon 14 July 1981
85 Senegal 1 August 1981[31]
86 Iceland 11 September 1981
87 Tanzania 28 October 1981[32]
88 Belize 15 February 1982
89 Antigua and Barbuda 18 March 1982
90 Saint Lucia 18 March 1982
91 Jordan 22 October 1982
92 Singapore 15 December 1982
93 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1 January 1984
94 Bangladesh 14 February 1984
— Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic 27 February 1984[33]
95 Oman 1 August 1985
96 Malta 16 April 1986
97   Nepal 6 May 1987
98 Mauritania 1 July 1987
99 Cape Verde 27 July 1987[34]
100 Malaysia 19 August 1987
101 Fiji 10 September 1987
102 Samoa 1 December 1987
103 Papua New Guinea 2 March 1988
104 Zambia 21 April 1988
105 Angola 29 April 1988
106 Mozambique 10 May 1988[34]
107 Syria 24 May 1988
108 Ghana 23 June 1988
109 Seychelles 5 August 1988[34]
110 Mongolia 8 August 1988
111 São Tomé and Príncipe 12 August 1988[34]
112 Maldives 14 August 1988
113 Burkina Faso 27 September 1988[34]
114 Liberia 28 September 1988
115 Chad 29 September 1988[34]
116 Djibouti 29 September 1988[34]
117 Mali 29 September 1988
118 Togo 29 September 1988[34]
119 Guinea 30 September 1988[34]
120 Laos 30 September 1988
121 Mauritius 30 September 1988
122 Sri Lanka 30 September 1988
123 Central African Republic 3 October 1988[34]
124 Comoros 3 October 1988[34]
125 Gambia 3 October 1988[34]
126 Somalia 3 October 1988[34]
127 Sudan 3 October 1988[34]
128 Yemen 3 October 1988
129 Niger 5 October 1988
130 Zimbabwe 10 October 1988
131 North Korea 24 October 1988[34]
132 Burundi 11 November 1988[34]
133 Sierra Leone 16 November 1988[34]
134 Myanmar 22 November 1988
135 Benin 30 November 1988[34]
136 Cameroon 8 March 1989[34]
137 Guinea-Bissau 23 March 1989[34]
138 Bahrain 18 April 1989
139 Uganda 5 May 1989[34]
140 Botswana 25 April 1990[34]
141 Namibia 28 April 1990[34]
142 Afghanistan 3 August 1990
143 Brunei 24 March 1992
144 Kazakhstan 23 July 1992
145 Marshall Islands 5 August 1992[35]
146 Ukraine 20 August 1992
147 Federated States of Micronesia 8 September 1992[36]
148 Belarus 9 December 1992
149 Slovakia 1 January 1993
150 Lithuania 5 August 1993
151 Kyrgyzstan 6 October 1993
152 Estonia 23 March 1994
153 South Africa 12 April 1994
154 Slovenia 19 July 1994
155 Azerbaijan 13 December 1994
156 Armenia 22 December 1994
157 Eritrea 22 December 1994[34]
158 Croatia 25 April 1995
159 Qatar 9 May 1995
160 Madagascar 15 June 1995[34]
161 Latvia 19 July 1995[34]
162 Bosnia and Herzegovina 19 October 1995
163 Andorra 27 November 1995
164 Libya 16 May 1996
165 Turkmenistan 27 August 1996
166 Georgia 6 June 1997
167 Moldova 14 October 1997
168 Malawi 30 March 1998
169 Lesotho 17 April 1998
170 Republic of the Congo 1 July 1999
171 Ireland 10 November 1999
172 North Macedonia 22 June 2000
173 Monaco 15 December 2000
174 Liechtenstein 24 October 2001
175 San Marino 15 April 2002
176 Timor-Leste 20 May 2002
177 Montenegro 12 August 2011
178 Saudi Arabia 8 September 2011
179 Tuvalu 3 April 2012
180 Uzbekistan 2 October 2012
181 Tajikistan 5 October 2012
182 Bhutan 21 December 2012
— State of Palestine 6 August 2018[37][38]
— Kosovo 3 March 2019
183 Solomon Islands 23 September 2024[39]
Close

Bilateral relations

Americas

More information Country, Formal relations began ...
Country Formal relations began Notes
Argentina8 March 1823See Argentina–Colombia relations
Bolivia19 March 1912See Bolivia–Colombia relations
  • Bolivia has an embassy in Bogotá.
  • Colombia has an embassy in La Paz.
Brazil24 April 1907See Brazil–Colombia relations
Canada6 October 1952See Canada–Colombia relations
Chile21 October 1822See Chile–Colombia relations

Both nations are members of the Pacific Alliance.

  • Chile has an embassy in Bogotá.
  • Colombia has an embassy in Santiago.
Ecuador10 February 1832See Colombia–Ecuador relations

Present-day Colombia and Ecuador trace back established official diplomatic relations to December, 1831 with the signing of the Treaty of Pasto, in which both countries recognized each other as sovereign states. The Ecuadorean diplomatic mission in New Granada (Colombia) did not open until 1837. It wasn't until 1939 that Ecuador raised the diplomatic mission's status to an official embassy. Colombia did the same the following year, in 1940.[43]

  • Colombia has an embassy in Quito.
  • Ecuador has an embassy in Bogotá.
Guyana18 December 1970See Colombia–Guyana relations
Honduras19 April 1852See Colombia-Honduras relations
Mexico3 October 1823See Colombia–Mexico relations
Nicaragua8 March 1825See Colombia–Nicaragua relations

The relationship between the two Latin American countries has evolved amid conflicts over the San Andrés y Providencia Islands located in the Caribbean close to the Nicaraguan shoreline and the maritime boundaries covering 150,000 km2 (57,915 sq mi) that included the islands of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina and the banks of Roncador, Serrana, Serranilla and Quitasueño as well as the arbitrarily designed 82nd meridian west which Colombia claims as a border but which the International Court has sided with Nicaragua in disavowing.[47]

  • Colombia has an embassy in Managua.
  • Nicaragua has an embassy in Bogotá.
Panama9 July 1924See Colombia–Panama relations
Paraguay27 July 1870See Colombia–Paraguay relations
Peru6 July 1822See Colombia–Peru relations

Both nations are members of the Pacific Alliance.

  • Colombia has an embassy in Lima and a consulate-general in Iquitos.
  • Peru has an embassy in Bogotá and a consulate-general in Leticia.
United States19 June 1822See Colombia–United States relations

The country traditionally has had good relations with the United States. Relations were strained during the presidency of Ernesto Samper (1994–98) due to accusations of receiving illegal campaign funding from the Cali Cartel. Relations between the two countries greatly improved during the Pastrana administration (1998–2002). In January 2000, the Clinton administration pledged more than US$1 billion of mainly military assistance to Colombia to assist the antidrug component of President Pastrana's strategy known as Plan Colombia.

Relations with the United States became a foreign policy priority for the Uribe administration, and Colombia became an important ally in the "war on terrorism". In March 2002, in response to a request from U.S. President George W. Bush, the U.S. Congress lifted restrictions on U.S. assistance to Colombia to allow it to be used for counterinsurgency in addition to antidrug operations. U.S. support for Colombia's antidrug-trafficking efforts included slightly more than US$2.5 billion between 2000 and 2004, as compared with only about US$300 million in 1998. Some critics of current US policies in Colombia, such as Law Professor John Barry, claim that US influences have catalyzed internal conflicts.

Colombia rejects threats and blackmail of the United States of America after the threat of Donald Trump to decertify the country as a partner in counter-narcotics efforts.[48]

For more than 30 years Colombia has demonstrated its commitment – paying a very high cost in human lives – with overcoming the drug problem. This commitment stems from the profound conviction that the consumption, production and trafficking of drugs constitute a serious threat to the well-being and security of citizens. Colombia is undoubtedly the country that has fought the most drugs and with more successes on this front. No one has to threaten us to meet this challenge.

— Colombia’s National Government[48]

The problem of drugs is global. Overcoming it can only be achieved through cooperation and under the principle of joint responsibility. Consumer countries’ authorities have a fundamental responsibility to their fellow citizens and the world to reduce consumption and to attack trafficking and distribution organizations in their own countries.

— Colombia’s National Government[48]

Latin America rejects Trump's military threat against Venezuela.[49] Brazil, Colombia and other countries in the region prefer to play a constructive role that would prevent a civil war in Venezuela.[50] Colombia's Foreign Ministry said that all efforts to resolve Venezuela's crisis should be peaceful.[51] Colombia proposed the idea of the Sustainable Development Goals and a final document was adopted by the United Nations.[52]

Uruguay25 August 1888See Colombia–Uruguay relations
  • Colombia has an embassy in Montevideo.
  • Uruguay has an embassy in Bogotá.
Venezuela27 November 1831, Severed in 23 February 2019, Restored in 29 August 2022See Colombia–Venezuela relations

The relationship has developed since the early 16th century, when Spanish empire colonizers created the province of Santa Marta (now Colombia)[unreliable source?][55] and the province of New Andalucia (now Venezuela).[56] The countries share a history for achieving their independence under Simón Bolívar and becoming one nation—the Gran Colombia—which dissolved in the 19th century.[57] Following then, the overall relationship between the two countries has vacillated between cooperation and bilateral struggle.

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 the two countries restore diplomatic relations.[58] Following the election of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, the two countries restored diplomatic relations in August 2022.[59]

  • Colombia has an embassy in Caracas and maintains several consulates throughout the country.
  • Venezuela has an embassy in Bogotá and maintains several consulates throughout the country.
Close

Asia

More information Country, Formal Relations Began ...
Country Formal Relations Began Notes
Armenia22 December 1994

Both countries established diplomatic relations on December 22, 1994.[60]

  • Armenia is accredited to Colombia from its embassy in Brasília, Brazil.
  • Colombia is accredited to Armenia from its embassy in Moscow, Russia.
Azerbaijan13 December 1994See Azerbaijan–Colombia relations
  • Azerbaijan has an embassy in Bogotá.
  • Colombia has an embassy in Baku.[61]
China7 February 1980See China–Colombia relations
India19 January 1959
Main article: Colombia–India relations

The relationship between the two countries has been gradually increasing with more frequent diplomatic visits to promote political, commercial cultural and academic exchanges. Colombia is currently the commercial point of entry into Latin America for Indian companies.[62]

Indonesia15 September 1980
Main article: Colombia–Indonesia relations

Both countries are members of the Non-Aligned Movement, the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, the Cairns Group, and the CIVETS block.[citation needed]

  • Colombia has an embassy in Jakarta.
  • Indonesia has an embassy in Bogotá.
Israel1 July 1957
(Diplomatic relations severed in 2 May 2024)
Main article: Colombia–Israel relations

In a 2019 article in the Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs, Marcos Peckel, a Colombian scholar noted that Colombian-Israeli relations can be looked through the lenses of military cooperation, trade links, education and culture, and recognition of Palestine.[66] Militarily, Colombia was one of the first countries to give Israel weapons and engage in arms deals, which became an long-term bilateral agreement. Since then, Israel and Colombia have shared intelligence, and as Peckel explains, several pieces of Israeli technology. Trade-wise, too, both countries had a strong relationship. The Free Trade Agreement, a pending agreement between Colombia and Israel, hds the potential to further strengthen these relationships by boosting Colombian imports in Israel and increasing the presence of Israeli technology in Colombia. The spheres of education and culture between Colombia and Israel were deeply interwoven through Israeli scholarships to Colombians and a presence of media in each country.[citation needed]

"Colombia supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel within mutually agreed-upon borders. It considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal but strongly condemns Palestinian terrorism, and it advocates for a lasting peace based on the two-state solution".[citation needed] On resolutions in the UN General Assembly that compared Zionism to racism and wanted to establish a right to return for Palestinians, Colombia abstained. In 2018, Colombia officially recognized the State of Palestine. Despite creating a bump in the relations between the countries, the two re-established strong relations.[citation needed] On 1 May 2024, President of Colombia Gustavo Petro broke diplomatic ties with Israel as a result of the Gaza war.

  • Colombia had an embassy in Tel Aviv.
  • Israel had an embassy in Bogotá.
Japan25 May 1908
Main article: Colombia–Japan relations

The relationship was officially established in 1908, only interrupted between 1942 and 1954 with the surge of World War II. Relations are mostly based on commercial trade that has favored Japan interests, cultural exchanges and technological and philanthropic aid to Colombia.[67]

  • Colombia has an embassy in Tokyo.
  • Japan has an embassy in Bogotá.
Malaysia19 August 1987[68]
Main article: Colombia–Malaysia relations

Ambassador of Colombia in Malaysia also accredited to Vietnam, while Malaysian Embassy in Lima, Peru, accredited to Colombia. Both are members of United Nations, Movement of Non-Aligned Cooperation Forum Asia-Latin America (FEALAC) and Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC).[citation needed]

  • Colombia has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
  • Malaysia is accredited to Colombia from its embassy in Lima, Peru.
Pakistan19 June 1970

Both Pakistan and Colombia do not enjoy cordial dealings with some of their neighbours. Another common aspect that makes the task of both Colombian and Pakistan Armed forces even tougher is the difficult terrain they have been encountering. Poverty, income inequality, destruction and degradation of other vital organs of the state have consequently been the natural by-products of insubordination and rebellions in both Colombia and Pakistan. Both the countries have similar Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) too. While the Colombian Purchasing Power Parity GDP stands at $460.406 billion, Pakistan s GDP stands at $464.897 billion (latest IMF statistics). Like Colombia, Pakistan also witnesses a large presence of the US military personnel and civilian contractors on its territory. Colombia established diplomatic relations with Pakistan in 1980, but bilateral trade between the two countries was negligible which needed to be improved for the benefit of both nations.

  • Colombia is accredited to Pakistan from its embassy in Ankara, Turkey.
  • Pakistan is accredited to Colombia from its embassy in Brasília, Brazil.
 Palestine 6 August 2018 (recognized)[37][38] See Embassy of Palestine, Bogotá
Philippines1 January 1946See Colombia–Philippines relations
  • Colombia has an embassy in Manila.
  • Philippines is accredited to Colombia from its embassy in Brasília, Brazil.
South Korea10 March 1962[69]See Colombia–South Korea relations
  • Formal diplomatic relations between South Korea and Colombia started on 10 March 1962.
  • Colombia sent about 1,000 men to Korea to assist South Korea during the Korean War.
  • Colombia has an embassy in Seoul.
  • South Korea has an embassy in Bogotá.
Turkey10 April 1959[70]See Colombia–Turkey relations
  • Colombia has an embassy in Ankara.
  • Turkey has an embassy in Bogotá.
  • Both countries are members of OECD and WTO.
  • Direct flights from Istanbul to Bogotá commenced in May 2016.
  • Trade volume between the two countries was US$1.7 billion USD in 2019 (Colombian exports/imports: 1.46/0.25 billion USD).[71]
Close

Europe

Under the Uribe administration, Colombia's relations with the European Union (EU) have been cordial. Representatives of the EU have been critical of Colombia's antiguerrilla and antidrug strategies in several respects. The EU is particularly concerned about the potential for increased human rights abuses within Colombia at the hands of both government forces and illegal armed groups, and it has continued to distance itself from Plan Colombia. The EU is in favor of a negotiated solution to the nation's internal conflict. EU aid to Colombia has mainly consisted of social, economic and development investments.

In 2004, the EU as an entity did not offer unrestricted support for the Uribe government's peace initiative with paramilitaries, citing concerns over the possible lack of a credible and comprehensive peace strategy and its application, but it did approve US$2 million in aid for the process. Individual EU members such Sweden, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands also provided limited support on their own.[72]

More information Country, Formal relations began ...
Country Formal relations began Notes
Andorra27 November 1995See Andorra–Colombia relations
  • Andorra does not have an accreditation to Colombia.
  • Colombia's embassy in Madrid, Spain is accredited to the Principality of Andorra.

In February 2013, Colombia's Foreign Minister at the time made an official visit to Andorra in order to strengthen relations between the two countries.[73]

Austria10 January 1920See Austria–Colombia relations
  • Austria has an embassy in Bogotá.
  • Colombia has an embassy in Vienna.
Belarus9 December 1992

On May 19, 1998, Colombia and Belarus signed a collaboration agreement between both countries.[74]

  • Belarus is accredited to Colombia from its embassy in Quito, Ecuador.
  • Colombia is accredited to Belarus from its embassy in Moscow, Russia.
Belgium1873
Czech RepublicJanuary 1993
France30 May 1892 See Colombia–France relations

Officially the relations between Colombian and France began on May 30, 1892, with the signature of an agreement intended to establish French nationals in Colombia, increase commerce and navigation between the two nations.[82]

  • Colombia has an embassy in Paris.
  • France has an embassy in Bogotá.
Germany1 June 1872See Colombia–Germany relations
  • Colombia has an embassy in Berlin and a consulate-general in Frankfurt.
  • Germany has an embassy in Bogotá.
Hungary28 March 1973 See Colombia–Hungary relations
  • Colombia has an embassy in Budapest.
  • Hungary has an embassy in Bogotá.
Iceland11 September 1981
  • Colombia is accredited to Iceland from its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden.
  • Iceland is accredited to Colombia from its embassy in Ottawa, Canada.[83]
  • Iceland and Colombia have a Free Trade Agreement through the EFTA[84]
Ireland10 November 1999See Colombia–Ireland relations
  • Colombia has an embassy in Dublin.
  • Ireland has an embassy in Bogotá.[85]
Italy13 March 1864See Colombia–Italy relations
  • Colombia has an embassy in Rome and a consulate-general in Milan.[86]
  • Italy has an embassy in Bogotá.
Kosovo3 March 2019
  • Colombia recognized Kosovo on August 6, 2008.[87]
  • Both countries established diplomatic relations on 3 March 2019.[88]
  • Kosovo will open an embassy in Bogotá.[89]
Liechtenstein24 October 2001
  • Colombia is accredited to Liechtenstein from its embassy in Bern, Switzerland.
  • Liechtenstein and Colombia have a Free Trade Agreement through the EFTA.[90]
Monaco15 December 2000
  • Colombia is accredited to Monaco from its embassy in Paris, France.
  • Monaco has an honorary consulate in Bogotá.

Colombia and Monaco first stablished diplomatic relations in December 2000. In 2012, Colombia's ambassador to France at the time, presented to Monaco its credentials becoming the first non-resident ambassador to the country.[91]

Netherlands1 May 1829See Colombia–Netherlands relations

On 16 and 17 February 2022 president Iván Duque visited the Netherlands. There were talks about trade and judicial cooperation. Also a bilateral treaty for the elimination of double taxation with respect to taxes on income and the prevention of tax evasion and avoidance was signed by Dutch PM Mark Rutte and president Duque.[92]

Poland18 November 1933See Colombia–Poland relations
  • Colombia has an embassy in Warsaw.
  • Poland has an embassy in Bogotá.
Portugal9 April 1857
  • Colombia has an embassy in Lisbon.
  • Portugal has an embassy in Bogotá.
Russia25 June 1935See Colombia–Russia relations
  • Colombia has an embassy in Moscow.
  • Russia has an embassy in Bogotá.
SerbiaDecember 1966
  • Both countries established diplomatic relations in December 1966.[93]
  • A number of bilateral agreements in various fields have been concluded and are in force between both countries.[94]
  • Colombia is accredited to Serbia from its embassy in Vienna, Austria.
  • Serbia is accredited to Colombia from its embassy in Brasília, Brazil.
Spain30 January 1881See Colombia–Spain relations
Sweden11 December 1874See Colombia–Sweden relations
  • Colombia has an embassy in Stockholm.[97]
  • Sweden has an embassy in Bogotá.
United Kingdom18 April 1825
Main article: Colombia–United Kingdom relations

Colombia established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 18 April 1825.[13]

  • Colombia maintains an embassy in London.[13]
  • The United Kingdom is accredited to Colombia through its embassy in Bogotá.[98]

Both countries share common membership of the International Criminal Court, the OECD, and the World Trade Organization, as well as the Andean countries–UK Free Trade Agreement.[99] Bilaterally the two countries havea Cultural Agreement,[100] a Double Taxation Agreement,[100] an Investment Agreement,[101] a Partnership for Sustainable Growth,[102] and a Security Agreement.[103]

Close

Oceania

More information Country, Formal relations began ...
Country Formal relations began Notes
Australia9 January 1975See Australia–Colombia relations
New Zealand1 May 1978See Colombia–New Zealand relations
  • Colombia is accredited to New Zealand from its embassy in Canberra, Australia[105] and maintains a consulate-general in Auckland.[106]
  • New Zealand has an embassy in Bogotá.[107]
Close

Transnational issues

Narcotics and terrorism

By the 1990s, Colombia had become the world's leading supplier of refined cocaine and a growing source for heroin. More than 90% of the cocaine that entered in the 1990s the United States was produced, processed, or transshipped in Colombia. The cultivation of coca dropped between 1995 and 1999 from 3,020 to 1,100 km2 (425 sq mi), primarily in areas where government control was more active.

Despite the death of Medellín cartel drug kingpin Pablo Escobar in 1993 and the arrests of major Cali cartel leaders in 1995 and 1996, Colombian drug cartels remain among the most sophisticated criminal organizations in the world, controlling cocaine processing, international wholesale distribution chains, and markets. In 1999 Colombian police arrested over 30 narcotraffickers, most of them extraditable, in "Operation Millennium" involving extensive international cooperation. More arrests were made in a following "Operation Millennium II."

Colombia is engaged in a broad range of narcotics control activities. Through aerial spraying of herbicide and manual eradication, Colombia has attempted to keep coca, opium poppy, and cannabis cultivation from expanding. The government has committed itself to the eradication of all illicit crops, interdiction of drug shipments, and financial controls to prevent money laundering. Alternative development programs were introduced in 1999.

Corruption and intimidation by traffickers complicate the drug-control efforts of the institutions of government. Colombia passed revised criminal procedures code in 1993 that permits traffickers to surrender and negotiate lenient sentences in return for cooperating with prosecutors. In December 1996 and February 1997, however, the Colombian Congress passed legislation to toughen sentencing, asset forfeiture, and money-laundering penalties.

In November 1997, the Colombian Congress amended the constitution to permit the extradition of Colombian nationals, albeit not retroactively. In late 1999, President Pastrana authorized the first extradition in almost 10 years of a Colombian trafficker to stand trial for U.S. crimes. Three such extraditions to the United States have taken place, the most recent in August 2000, with cases against others pending in Colombian courts. Under the Pastrana administration, Plan Colombia was developed and implemented with U.S. backing.[108]

During the presidency of Álvaro Uribe, the government applied more military pressure on the FARC and other outlawed groups. After the offensive, many security indicators improved. Colombia achieved a great decrease in cocaine production, leading White House drug czar R. Gil Kerlikowske to announce that Colombia is no longer the world's biggest producer of cocaine.[109][110]

In addition to the challenge posed to the United States by Colombian drug trafficking, illegal Colombian immigrants in the United States are an issue in Colombia-U.S. relations. According to figures from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Colombia is the fourth-leading source country of illegal immigration to the United States. According to its estimates, the number of illegal Colombian residents in the United States almost tripled from 51,000 in 1990 to 141,000 in 2000.[111] According to the US Census Bureau, the number of authorized Colombian immigrants in the United States in 2006 was 801,363.[112]

Colombia rejected threats of the United States of America after the threat of Donald Trump to decertify the country as a partner in counter-narcotics efforts.[48]

For more than 30 years Colombia has demonstrated its commitment – paying a very high cost in human lives – with overcoming the drug problem. This commitment stems from the profound conviction that the consumption, production and trafficking of drugs constitute a serious threat to the well-being and security of citizens. Colombia is undoubtedly the country that has fought the most drugs and with more successes on this front. No one has to threaten us to meet this challenge.

— Colombia’s National Government[48]

The problem of drugs is global. Overcoming it can only be achieved through cooperation and under the principle of joint responsibility. Consumer countries’ authorities have a fundamental responsibility to their fellow citizens and the world to reduce consumption and to attack trafficking and distribution organizations in their own countries.

— Colombia’s National Government[48]

See also

References

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