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Article: Colombia, Intelligence and Security
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, andSecurity
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Colombia, Intelligence and Security
Colombia emerged as an independent nation in 1830, following the collapse of Spanish rule in the region, then known as Gran Colombia. Large-landowning and military interests alternately dominated the nation's politics, causing long-standing political tension. In the 1960s, political extremists and paramilitary insurgent groups began attacking government interests in the capital. The conflict escalated in the 1990s, destabilizing the Colombian government and allowing areas of the countryside to fall to guerilla control. Violence and sporadic fighting continue to be endemic in the nation, but the government restructured intelligence, police, and ...