Imperialism In Colombia

Spanish imperial rule defined much of Colombia’s social and economic development in the sixteenth century under the system of mercantilism. The country (then colony) was an exporter of raw materials such as metals. It was not until Colombia was granted independence that the country was able to create a modern economy. This modern economy was based on coffee and other agricultural exports. Colombia prospered during the late nineteenth century due to the exporting of tobacco and coffee. Wealth was mainly based on the country’s agriculture and commerce along with their exportations to global markets. Colombia’s economic development has not been as constant as it has been nowadays. Post-World War II, the country’s economic development has faced

Spanish imperial rule defined much of Colombia’s social and economic development. As a colony, Colombia was an exporter of raw materials such as metals to its mother country. Colombia’s modern economy based on coffee and other agricultural exports did not emerge until liberalization began under President Gaviria. However, the economy did not take off the same way as the policies of the Washington consensus due to the uncertainty created by violence and illegal drugs. 1845 was an era of stagnation where economic change was happening at a fast rate. Until 1885, it was considered a period of Radical Liberal reform due to all the chaos and economic consequences. The chaos engendered a lack of stable effective leadership. The people were against each other and the government. The Epoch of Civil Wars occurred where the liberal party achieved political ascendancy over the Conservative party. The terms liberal and conservative in the Latin American context differs from that of the United States. In Colombia, the Liberal Party is referred to continuous support towards religion toleration and a positive response to the social and economic demands of society. On the other hand, the Conservative Party has a close tie and cooperates with the Roman Catholic Church, and has a lack of tolerance towards non-Catholic religious beliefs and high centralized

Coffee prices dropped and social and economic improvements remained uneven. Postwar expansion, Colombia faced a distinct transformation. Transportation facilities were improved and were financed directly and indirectly through the coffee industry. The coffee industry granted a steady transportation network which accelerated urbanization and industrialization. From 1953 to 1957, Rojas Pinilla seized power and imposed military dictatorship. At this time, Colombia was characterized by violent conflict widespread. There was bitter rivalry between the Conservative and Liberal parties which led to two civil wars. One of the wars is known as “La Violencia” which happened from 1946 to 1957. Under Rojas Pinilla military dictatorship, many armed groups effectively ruled parts of the country where the control of the central government lacked or was nonexistent. When rojas failed to restore democratic rule and became implicated in corrupt schemes, he was overthrown by the military with the support of the Liberal and Conservative Parties. In July 1957, an alliance between former Conservative President Laureano Gomez and Liberal President Alberto Lleras Camargo led to the creation of the National Front. This front established a power-sharing agreement between both parties and ended “La