The History of Colombia

The history of Colombia has been defined by the paradox of the coexistence of violence and economic growth. While the economy of the country has grown almost uninterruptedly since the middle of the 20th century, in 2019 the state was still not fully capable of reasserting its presence nor of providing justice or security for all of its citizens across its territory. This chapter analyses the paradox of the coexistence of armed violence and economic growth in Colombia, in which parts of the elite of the country benefit by the lack of security and justice. Violence is good for business, although not good for statehood.