International Crisis Group
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Colombia | Latin America
Detailed conflict history
CrisisWatch database
Recent reports and briefings
Haga clic aquí por informes en español

After 50 years of internal armed conflict and several unsuccessful attempts at negotiating peace, Colombia over recent years has witnessed a significant improvement in security. Nonetheless, the state remains pitted against two guerrilla organisations, the ELN and the FARC, and new illegal armed groups. Bereft of any meaningful political cause since the end of the Cold War, the irregular armed organisations have become deeply involved in kidnapping, drug trafficking and terrorism.

On 26 May 2002, Colombians elected Álvaro Uribe to succeed President Andrés Pastrana, whose efforts to find a negotiated solution to the armed conflict with the FARC and ELN ended in failure. During six years of government peace efforts, which included the granting of a large demilitarised zone to the FARC and saw a number of peace initiatives launched by the international community, no progress could be made regarding lasting ceasefires or viable negotiation agendas.

Yet despite criticism of Uribe’s government for collusion with paramilitary groups and for insufficient attention paid to victims’ rights to justice, truth and reparation, since 2003 Colombia has witnessed a substantial decline in violence and kidnappings. However, a flawed counter-narcotics strategy has seen Colombia maintain a prominent role in drug trafficking, and increased tensions with bordering states, in particular Venezuela, have not been resolved. Moreover, the flawed demobilisation of the AUC, the main paramilitary bloc, has resulted in the emergence of many equally if not more problematic new illegal armed groups.

Crisis Group follows developments in Colombia from its Bogotá office. Our work on Colombia continues to support efforts to find a negotiated solution to this brutal internal conflict. The focus is on identifying key strategies to resume peace talks, further reduce the level of violence and eliminate the spill-over of the conflict into bordering states. It also analyses cocaine trafficking and counter-narcotics policies, while considering opportunities to strengthen democratic governance and reduce social inequalities in the country.

Our Colombia reports are listed below, starting with the most recent. You can also search for relevant reports using the search box in the top right hand side of this page.

Many of our Colombia reports have been translated into Spanish. Click here to see these reports. Articles, op-eds, speeches and media releases can be found under the media section.

Click here for a more detailed history of the country/conflict.

Crisis Group also has conflict histories for Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.

Muchos de nuestros informes de Colombia y la Región Andina se han traducido al español. Para ver esos informes, haga clic aquí.


Recent reports & briefings


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