Country Profile:
Colombia
Summary
Colombia has faced a protracted intra-state conflict for over 50 years. The political violence began in the 1940s when socio-economic grievances from the population mounted. The majority of the population was excluded from the political process which in turn prompted the growth of armed revolutionary groups (guerilla groups) in the 1960s. Paramilitary forces began to form when both the government and wealthy land owners began seeking protection from guerrilla groups.
The conflict has three main actors: the guerillas, the paramilitaries and the armed security forces. Although there were many more guerilla groups in the 1960s, the most prominent groups that still exist today include the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia/Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional/National Liberation Army (ELN). The main paramilitary group was called the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia/United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), but they have now been replaced with new illegally armed groups (NIAGs). The Colombian armed forces are involved in the conflict and have been connected with various paramilitary groups.
