Colombia

Colombia’s 2014 legislative elections resulted in a demonstrable weakening of President Juan Manuel Santos’s governing coalition, in favor of former president Alvaro Uribe’s new Centro Democrático. Uribe has consistently opposed the peace process that seeks to end the country’s decades-long armed conflict, so it remains to be seen how these elections will impact the process moving forward. This report from the CSIS Americas Program provides a detailed look at the challenges the Colombian government confronts as it moves from providing security to developing rural areas that were previously conflict zones. In particular, the report examines such issues as remaining security needs; land tenure; needed infrastructure improvements; and providing better governance. In addition, the report offers recommendations on how the Colombian government can move forward in consolidating gains in its countryside—and how the United States can help.