The historical development of the Republic of Colombia has endured a significant component of a long-lasting political violence. Ever since independence in July 20th, 1810, the former Spanish colony has been engulfed into an ideological struggle over the state’s governance. After the altercation between royalists and separatists, another one arose between supporters of centralism and federalism. The Spaniards ceased the opportunity and re-conquered the incipient republic in 1816. Yet, this downfall lasted only until Simon Bolivar’s liberation campaigns banished the Spanish permanently in 1819. Unfortunately, after the Liberator’s death, Colombia became once again internally divided between liberals and conservatives. In the remainder of the
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The roles of head of state and head of government are merged into the office of the president, which yields a relatively strong executive. The president is elected directly by the people for periods of four years, but the cabinet of ministers is designated by the chief executive officer. The legislature works under a bicameral system: the Senate (upper house) and the Chamber of Representatives (lower house). Each of the 102 senators and 166 representatives are appointed through popular vote from a multiple parties’ lists of candidates – two of the senate seats are occupied by members of indigenous communities. A particular feature of the Senate is the power to designate the Constitutional and Supreme Court justices, and the nation’s Inspector, who oversees public officials. Finally, the judiciary is made up of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Justice. The former is in charge of protecting the constitution and ensuring the accordance of law and processes with the constitution through judicial review. The latter serves as the highest level of appeal in civil and penal cases, yet it cannot rule over the constitutionality of a law or verdict. Additionally, the Supreme Court holds the power to designate the nation’s Attorney General, which investigates penal matters and prosecutes culprits before a …show more content…
Spanish and Catholicism are not only Colombia’s official language and religion, but are also undisputedly the dominant ones in society. Of the total population, 90% adhere to the Catholic Church. Meanwhile, Spanish has almost effaced other indigenous dialects. However, Colombia’s cultural heritage has received influence from a variety of sources, which have ultimately led to the development of heterogeneous demographics. Throughout the Colonial era, the population underwent a process of miscegenation. The first stage occurred between the European colonizers and the native indigenous populations. Subsequently, with the influx of African black slaves, another wave of interracial mixture emerged, not only between whites and blacks, but also between blacks and Amerindians. Currently, the major ethnic groups are product of these racial mixtures: mestizo (white and indigenous; 58%) and mulatto (white and black; 14%). Nonetheless, whites of European descent, or criollo, make up 20% of the
The roles of head of state and head of government are merged into the office of the president, which yields a relatively strong executive. The president is elected directly by the people for periods of four years, but the cabinet of ministers is designated by the chief executive officer. The legislature works under a bicameral system: the Senate (upper house) and the Chamber of Representatives (lower house). Each of the 102 senators and 166 representatives are appointed through popular vote from a multiple parties’ lists of candidates – two of the senate seats are occupied by members of indigenous communities. A particular feature of the Senate is the power to designate the Constitutional and Supreme Court justices, and the nation’s Inspector, who oversees public officials. Finally, the judiciary is made up of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Justice. The former is in charge of protecting the constitution and ensuring the accordance of law and processes with the constitution through judicial review. The latter serves as the highest level of appeal in civil and penal cases, yet it cannot rule over the constitutionality of a law or verdict. Additionally, the Supreme Court holds the power to designate the nation’s Attorney General, which investigates penal matters and prosecutes culprits before a …show more content…
Spanish and Catholicism are not only Colombia’s official language and religion, but are also undisputedly the dominant ones in society. Of the total population, 90% adhere to the Catholic Church. Meanwhile, Spanish has almost effaced other indigenous dialects. However, Colombia’s cultural heritage has received influence from a variety of sources, which have ultimately led to the development of heterogeneous demographics. Throughout the Colonial era, the population underwent a process of miscegenation. The first stage occurred between the European colonizers and the native indigenous populations. Subsequently, with the influx of African black slaves, another wave of interracial mixture emerged, not only between whites and blacks, but also between blacks and Amerindians. Currently, the major ethnic groups are product of these racial mixtures: mestizo (white and indigenous; 58%) and mulatto (white and black; 14%). Nonetheless, whites of European descent, or criollo, make up 20% of the