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
Independence:
20 July 1810 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 20 July (1810)
Constitution:
5 July 1991
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
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7 August 2002);
Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August 2002); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7 August
2002); Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August 2002); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet consists of a coalition of the two dominant parties
- the PL and PSC - and independents
elections: president and vice president elected by popular vote for
a four-year term; election last held 26 May 2002 (next to be held NA
May 2006)
election results: President Alvaro URIBE Velez received 53% of the
vote; Vice President Francisco SANTOS was elected on the same ticket
Legislative branch:
bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Senate or Senado
(102 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year
terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Representantes
(166 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year
terms)
elections: Senate - last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA
March 2006); House of Representatives - last held 10 March 2002
(next to be held NA March 2006)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - PL 28, PSC 13, independents and smaller parties (many
aligned with conservatives) 61; House of Representatives - percent
of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PL 54, PSC 21, independents
and other parties 91
Judicial branch:
four coequal, supreme judicial organs; Supreme Court of Justice or
Corte Suprema de Justical (highest court of criminal law; judges are
selected from the nominees of the Higher Council of Justice for
eight-year terms); Council of State (highest court of administrative
law, judges are selected from the nominees of the Higher Council of
Justice 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); Higher Council of Justice (administers and
disciplines the civilian judiciary; members of the disciplinary
chamber resolve jurisdictional conflicts arising between other
courts; members are elected by three sister courts and Congress for
eight-year terms)
Political parties and leaders:
Conservative Party or PSC [Carlos HOLGUIN Sardi]; Liberal Party or
PL [Piedad CORDOBA and Juan Manuel LOPEZ Cabrales]; Colombian
Communist Party or PCC [Jaime CAICEDO]; 19 of April Movement or M-19
[Antonio NAVARRO Wolff]
note: Colombia has about 60 formally recognized political parties,
most of which do not have a presence in either house of Congress