View source for Politics of Colombia

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->

{{More citations needed|date=December 2014}}{{Politics of Colombia}}

Colombia is a [[presidential system|presidential]] [[representative democracy|representative democratic]] [[republic]] with a [[multi-party system]], where the [[President of Colombia]] is both [[head of state]] and [[head of government]]. The national government has separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Fuentes |first=Juan-Andrés |title=Research Guides: Colombian Legal Research: Basic Legal Structure |url=https://guides.library.harvard.edu/c.php?g=1226310&p=8972551 |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=guides.library.harvard.edu |language=en}}</ref> The [[legislative power]] is held by the two chambers of the [[Congress of Colombia]], the [[Senate of Colombia|Senate]] and the [[Chamber of Representatives of Colombia|Chamber of Representatives]]. The [[judiciary]] is independent of the executive and the legislature, with the four high courts for each jurisdiction of law: the [[Constitutional Court of Colombia]], [[Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia]], [[Council of State (Colombia)|Council of State]], and [[Superior Council of Judicature]].

{{Democracy Index rating|Colombia|flawed democracy|2024}}

==Constitution==
{{Further|Colombian Constitution of 1991|Constitutional history of Colombia}}
The current [[Colombian Constitution of 1991]], enacted on July 5, 1991, strengthened the administration of justice with the provision for introduction of an [[adversarial system]], which entirely replaced the existing [[Napoleonic Code]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}} Other significant reforms under the new constitution included civil divorce, [[dual nationality]], the office of [[Vice President of Colombia]], and the election of [[Departments of Colombia|Departmental]] Governors.<ref>{{citation |author=Bruce M. Wilson |title=Institutional Reform and Rights Revolutions in Latin America: The Cases of Costa Rica and Colombia |journal=Journal of Politics in Latin America |url=http://hup.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/jpla/article/view/40/40 |issn=1868-4890}}</ref> Additionally, the constitution expanded citizens' fundamental rights, including the right of "tutela," which allows individuals to request immediate court action if they feel their constitutional rights are being violated and if no other [[legal recourse]] is available.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

==Executive branch==
{{Main article|Executive Branch of Colombia}}
[[File:Casa-narino-1-fachada.jpg|thumb|[[Casa de Nariño]], seat of the [[executive power]].]]
The [[President of Colombia]] is elected to a single four-year term. The 1991 constitution reestablished the position of the [[Vice President of Colombia]], who is elected on the same ticket as the president. By law, the vice president will succeed in the event of the president's resignation, illness, or death.<ref>{{cite web |title=Colombia 1991 (rev. 2015) Constitution |url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Colombia_2015 |publisher=Constitute Project |access-date=22 May 2025 |location=Article 202}}</ref> Since 2015, the president has been barred from running for reelection, even for a nonconsecutive term.<ref>{{cite news |last1=L |first1=Elizabeth Reyes |title=Colombian lawmakers approve a one-term limit for presidents |url=https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2015/06/04/inenglish/1433416990_898964.html |work=EL PAÍS English Edition |date=4 June 2015 |language=en-us}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

==Legislative branch==
{{Main article|Legislative Branch of Colombia}}
[[File:CapitolioNacionalDeColombia2004-7.jpg|thumb|[[Congress of Colombia]] in [[Bogotá]].]]
Colombia's [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] congress consists of a 108-member [[Senate of Colombia|senate]] and a 172-member [[Chamber of Representatives of Colombia|chamber of representatives]]. Senators are elected on the basis of a nationwide ballot, while representatives are elected in multi member districts co-located within the 32 national departments. The country's capital is a separate capital district and elects its own representatives.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Colombia: Sistemas Electorales / Electoral Systems |url=https://pdba.georgetown.edu/ElecSys/Colombia/colombia.html |access-date=2025-11-20 |website=pdba.georgetown.edu}}</ref> Members may be re-elected indefinitely, and, in contrast to the pre-1991 constitution system, there are no alternate congressmen. Congress meets twice a year, and the president has the power to call it into special session when needed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Colombia 1991 (rev. 2013) Constitution - Constitute |url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Colombia_2013 |access-date=2025-11-20 |website=www.constituteproject.org |language=en}}</ref>

==Judicial branch==
{{Main|Judiciary of Colombia}}
[[File:PalacioDeJusticia2004-7-9Bogota.jpg|thumb|[[Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia]].]]
The civilian judiciary is a separate and independent branch of government. Guidelines and the general structure for Colombia's administration of justice are set out in Law 270 of March 7, 1996.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}} After the 1991 Constitution, Colombia's legal system began incorporating elements of an oral, accusatory system. The judicial branch's general structure comprises four distinct jurisdictions: ordinary, administrative, constitutional, and special. Colombia's highest judicial organs are the [[Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia|Supreme Court]], the [[Council of State (Colombia)|Council of State]], the [[Constitutional Court of Colombia|Constitutional Court]], and the [[Superior Council of Judicature|Superior Judicial Council]]. Although all the high courts technically oversee separate jurisdictions, the Constitutional Court has a broad spectrum of judicial oversight, often allowing it to rule on issues overseen by different jurisdictions and even weigh in directly on the rulings of other high courts.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Botero Marino |first1=Botero Marino |last2=Fernando Jaramillo |title=El Conflicto de las Cortes Colombianas en Torno a la Tutela Contra Sentencias. |url=http://www.dejusticia.org/files/r2_actividades_recursos/fi_name_recurso.37.pdf |access-date=5 October 2015}}</ref>

==Elections==
{{Main article|Elections in Colombia}}{{Excerpt|Elections in Colombia|Electoral system|only=|templates=|subsections=yes|hat=no}}

=== Recent elections ===

==== 2022 presidential election ====
{{Main|2022 Colombian presidential election}}{{Excerpt|2022 Colombian presidential election|Results|only=template|templates=Election results|hat=no}}

==== 2022 parliamentary election ====
{{Main|2022 Colombian parliamentary election}}

===== Senate =====
{{Excerpt|2022 Colombian parliamentary election#Results|Senate|only=template|paragraphs=1|templates=Election results|hat=no}}

===== Chamber of Representatives =====
{{Excerpt|2022 Colombian parliamentary election#Results|Chamber of Representatives|only=template|paragraphs=1|templates=Election results|hat=no}}

==Political parties==
{{Main article|List of political parties in Colombia}}{{Excerpt|List of political parties in Colombia|Parties with legal recognition|hat=no}}

==Corruption==
{{Main article|Corruption in Colombia}}

==International organization participation==

=== Global ===
[[United Nations]]
{{Columns-list|colwidth=10em|
* [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]]
* [[International Atomic Energy Agency|IAEA]]
* [[ICAO]]
* [[International Trade Union Confederation|ITUC]]
* [[IFAD]]
* [[International Labour Organization|ILO]]
* [[International Monetary Fund|IMF]]
* [[International Maritime Organization|IMO]]
* [[International Organization for Migration|IOM]]
* [[ITU]]
* [[Union of South American Nations|UNASUR]]
* [[UNCTAD]]
* [[UNESCO]]
* [[UNHCR]]
* [[United Nations Industrial Development Organization|UNIDO]]
* [[UPU]]
* [[WHO]]
* [[WIPO]]
* [[WMO]]
* [[WToO]]
}}[[World Bank]]
{{Columns-list|colwidth=10em|
* [[International Development Association|IDA]] 
* [[International Bank for Reconstruction and Development|IBRD]]
* [[International Finance Corporation|IFC]]
* [[MIGA]]
}}

Other
{{Columns-list|colwidth=10em|
*[[Group of 24|G-24]]
*[[Group of 77|G-77]]
*[[International Chamber of Commerce|ICC]]
*[[International Criminal Court|ICCt]]
*[[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|ICRM]]
*[[IFRCS]]
*[[IHO]]
*[[Interpol (organization)|Interpol]]
*[[IOC]]
*[[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]]
*[[Non-Aligned Movement|NAM]]
*[[OPCW]]
*[[Permanent Court of Arbitration|PCA]]
*[[World Customs Organization|WCO]]
*[[World Federation of Trade Unions|WFTU]]
*[[World Trade Organization|WTO]]
*[[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|OECD]]
}}

=== Regional ===
{{Columns-list|colwidth=10em|
*[[Central American Bank for Economic Integration|BCIE]]
*[[Andean Community of Nations|CAN]]
*[[Caribbean Development Bank|CDB]]
*[[G3 Free Trade Agreement|G-3]]
*[[Inter-American Development Bank|IADB]]
*[[Latin American Economic System|LAES]]
*[[LAIA]]
*[[Mercosur]] (associate)
*[[Organization of American States|OAS]]
*[[OPANAL]]
*[[Rio Group|RG]]
}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commonscatinline}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20020502010953/http://www.camararep.gov.co/ House of Representatives of Colombia]
*[http://www.senado.gov.co/ Senate of Colombia]
*[http://www.presidencia.gov.co/ Presidency of Colombia]
*[http://www.cortesuprema.gov.co/ Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia]

{{Colombia topics|state=uncollapsed}}
{{Americas topic|Politics of}}
{{Colombia conflict}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Politics Of Colombia}}
[[Category:Politics of Colombia| ]]