they’ve been in conflict with since 1964. Despite Colombia’s inability to topple the

FARC threat, their military is actually quite large, and benefits financially from a growing

Colombian economy. So just how powerful is Colombia?

Well, the country is about twice the size of Spain, but holds roughly the same amount

of people at around 47 million. Colombia borders the tip of Central America in Panama, and

forms the beginning of South America.

About a third of Colombian citizens live in poverty in rural areas due to decades of violence

between the FARC rebels and Colombian government. However, those who live in the cities are

often well off, especially in Colombia’s highly developed capital city of Bogota. The

World Bank lists Colombia as an “Upper Middle Income” country, with a GDP of nearly $400

Billion dollars. They rank above competing neighbors Venezuela and Ecuador, and not far

behind successful European nations like Norway and Austria.

Colombia’s economy heavily depends on energy and mining exports. It’s Latin America’s

fourth largest oil producer, the world’s fourth largest coal exporter, and the leading

producer of raw emeralds. However, these commodities are vulnerable to price fluctuations, and

as a result, Colombia has been diversifying its economy. From 2007 to 2012, the Colombian

tech industry grew 177% and is being called the “Silicon Valley” of South America.

However, much of Colombia’s economy is still significantly involved with the South American

drug trade. Although their most famous drug kingpin, Pablo Escobar, died in 1993, today

more than $400 million dollars within the Colombian economy comes from drug trafficking

profits. Colombia is thought to be one of the world’s leading producers of cocaine

With about 450,000 active military personnel, Colombia has long attempted to tackle its

drug and rebel problem by cracking down with its armed forces. However, they have had limited

success in jungle areas, and the resulting violent clashes have long been criticized

by human rights organizations. Worldwide, Colombia ranks 52nd in military power, spending

$13 Billion dollars on defense in 2014.

But Colombia is not alone in their fight. Since 2000, the US has spent nearly $10 billion

dollars to help encourage peace and eradicate illicit drug trafficking. The US is Colombia’s

largest trading partner, and the 2012 US-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement has reduced tariffs

and promoted economic growth. Colombia is also party to a number of international organizations.

With close ties to the United States and a flourishing economy, Colombia proves itself

to be a significant international “Middle Power”. However, due to decades of violence,

poverty still plagues the nation. So how powerful is Colombia? Powerful enough to be self sufficient,

but not enough to overcome the country’s greatest obstacles.

To find out more about the infamous kingpin behind Colombia’s drug trade, check out

Seeker Daily’s video on Pablo Escobar. Or, to learn more about Colombia’s FARC rebels,

check out our video at the bottom. Thanks for watching TestTube! Make sure to like and

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