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
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 March
2006); House of Representatives - last held 10 March 2002 (next to
be held 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 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 and leaders:
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 [Juan Fernando CRISTO]
note: Colombia has about 60 formally recognized political parties,
most of which do not have a presence in either house of Congress
Political pressure groups and leaders:
two largest insurgent groups active in Colombia - Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC and National Liberation Army or
ELN; largest anti-insurgent paramilitary group is United
Self-Defense Groups of Colombia or AUC
International organization participation:
BCIE, CAN, CDB, CSN, 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, Mercosur (associate),
MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Luis Alberto MORENO Mejia chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-8338 FAX: [1] (202) 232-8643 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Washington, DC
Diplomatic representation from the US: 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
Flag description:
three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and
red; similar to the flag of Ecuador, which is longer and bears the
Ecuadorian coat of arms superimposed in the center