Columbia+Timeline

1525 - Spain begins conquest of Colombia. 1536-38 - Spain establishes the settlement of Santa Fe de Bogota, which subsequently becomes known as Bogota, the current capital; becomes part of the Spanish vice-royalty of Peru. 1718 - Bogota becomes the capital of the Spanish vice-royalty of Nueva Granada, which also rules Ecuador and Venezuela. **1819 -** Simon Bolivar defeats Spanish at Boyaca. Republic of Gran Colombia formed with Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela. **1829-30** - Gran Colombia dissolved when Venezuela and Ecuador split off, leaving present-day Colombia and Panama a separate state known as Nueva Granada. **1849** - Conservative and Liberal parties founded. **1861-85** - Liberal Party rule sees country d ﻿ivided into nine largely autonomous entities and the church separated from the state. 1899-1903 - "The War of the Thousand Days": around 120,000 people die in civil war between Liberals and Conservatives. Panama becomes an independent state.1885 - Start of 45 years of Conservative Party rule during which power is recentralised and church influence restored. **1930** - Liberal President Olaya Herrera elected by coalition; social legislation introduced and trade unions encouraged. **1946** - Conservatives return to power. 1948 - Assassination of left-wing mayor of Bogota ignites riots. 1948-57 - 250,000-300,000 killed in civil war. **1958** - Conservatives and Liberals agree to form National Front in a bid to end the civil war; other parties banned.

**Guerrilla war** **1965** - Leftist National Liberation Army (ELN) and Maoist People's Liberation Army (EPL) founded. **1970 -** National People's Alliance formed as a left-wing counterweight to the National Front.  1966 - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc, the current largest guerrilla grouping) set up. 1971  - Left-wing M-19 guerrilla group emerges. <span style="color: #ff0f0f; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1978 - <span style="color: #f50000; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">President Julio Turbay (Liberal) begins intensive fight against drug traffickers. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**1982** - President Belisario Betancur (Conservative) grants guerrillas amnesty and frees political prisoners.

<span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**War against drug cartels stepped up** <span style="color: #f50000; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1984 - Campaign against drug traffickers stepped up following assassination of justice minist <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">er. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**1985** - Eleven judges and 90 other people killed after M-19 guerrillas force their way into the Palace of Justice; Patriotic Union Party (UP) founded. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupts. An estimated 23,000 people are killed in four Andean towns. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**1986** - Virgilio Barco Vargas (Liberal) wins presidential elections by record margin. Right-wing paramilitary groups begin murder campaign against UP politicians, amid continuing violence by left-wing groups and death squads run by drugs cartels. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**1989** - M-19 becomes legal party after reaching peace agreement with government. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**1991** - New constitution legalises divorce, prohibits extradition of Colombians wanted for trial in other countries and guarantees indigenous peoples' democratic rights, but without addressing their territorial claims.Liberal and UP presidential candidates murdered during presidential election campaign, reputedly at the behest of drug cartels; Cesar Gaviria elected on anti-drug platform. <span style="color: #ff0a0a; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1993 - Pablo Escobar, Medellin drug-cartel leader, shot dead while trying to evade arrest. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**1995** - Ernesto Samper Pizano (Liberal) elected president and is subsequently charged and cleared of receiving drug-cartel money for his election campaign.

<span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Peace talks** <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**1998** - Andres Pastrana Arango - a Conservative - elected president, begins peace talks with guerrillas. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**1998** November - Pastrana grants Farc a safe haven the size of Switzerland in the south-east to help move peace talks along. The zone is off-limits to the army. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**1999** January - Peace talks formally launched but proceed in stop-start fashion. Pastrana and Farc leader Manuel "Sureshot" Marulanda meet. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**1999** January - Powerful earthquake kills some 1,000 people. Cities of Armenia and Pereira badly hit.

<span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Plan Colombia** <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2000** July - Pastrana's "Plan Colombia" wins almost US$1 billion in mainly military aid from the US to fight drug-trafficking and rebels who profit and protect the trade. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2000** September - Government freezes talks; alleges Farc harboured hijacker of plane forced to land in safe haven. Later, Farc refuses to resume talks, accuses Pastrana of not stopping paramilitary groups. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2001** February - The Farc return to peace talks after meeting between "Sureshot" and Pastrana. Pastrana extends demilitarized area for eight months. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2001** October - Government, Farc sign San Francisco agreement, committing themselves to negotiate ceasefire. Pastrana extends life of safe haven until January 2002. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2002** January - Pastrana accepts Farc ceasefire timetable and extends safe haven until April.
 * 2001** June - Farc rebels free 359 police and troops in exchange for 14 captured rebels. Farc accused of using safe haven to rearm, prepare attacks and conduct drug trade.

<span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Talks fail** <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2002** 20 February - Pastrana breaks off three years of tortuous peace talks with Farc rebels, says hijacking of aircraft hours earlier is final straw. He orders rebels out of demilitarised zone. Government declares war zone in south after rebels step up attacks. 2002 August - Moments before Alvaro Uribe is sworn in as president, suspected Farc explosions rock Bogota. Twenty people are killed. Days later, Uribe declares state of emergency. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2002** May - Independent candidate Alvaro Uribe wins a first-round presidential election victory, promises to crack down hard on rebel groups. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2003** October - 14 out of 15 of President Uribe's planned austerity measures and political reforms rejected by voters in referendum. Three ministers, national police chief resign. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2004** May - Farc's Ricardo Palmera, the most senior Colombian guerrilla ever captured, is jailed for 35 years. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2004** July - Right-wing AUC and government begin peace talks. AUC leaders address Congress. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2005** January - Bitter 15-day dispute with Venezuela over the capture of a Farc leader on Venezuelan soil. The affair is resolved at talks in Caracas in February. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2005** June - New law offers reduced jail terms and protection from extradition for paramilitaries who turn in their arms. Rights groups say the legislation is too lenient. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2005** December - Exploratory peace talks with the second biggest left-wing rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), begin in Cuba. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2006** February - Colombia and the US agree on a free trade deal. The agreement awaits ratification in both countries.
 * 2003** November - Fighters from right-wing United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC) begin to disarm.

<span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Uribe's second term** <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2006** March - Parties loyal to President Uribe win an overwhelming victory in parliamentary elections. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2006** May - President Uribe wins a second term in office. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2006** November - Court investigates possible ties between high-ranking politicians from Sucre department and right-wing paramilitaries. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2006** December - Detained paramilitary leaders say they are pulling out of a peace process. Government says demobilisation of right-wing groups will continue. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2007** January - Ecuador turns to the Organisation of American States (OAS) for help with its challenge to Colombia's coca crop-spraying programme along their common border. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2007** June - Government releases dozens of jailed Farc guerrillas, in hope that rebels will reciprocate by releasing hostages. Farc rejects move, saying it will only free hostages if government pulls back troops and sets up demilitarised zone. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2007** July - Hundreds of thousands protest in Bogota against kidnappings and conflict in the country.

<span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Hostage release talks** <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2007** September - In his role as mediator, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez agrees to invite rebels for talks on hostage release deal. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2007** November - Colombia sets deadline of 31 December for President Chavez to reach deal with rebels on prisoner swap. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2007** November - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez withdraws his country's ambassador to Bogota in a row over his role in negotiations between the Colombian government and rebel forces. 2008 January - The Farc releases two high-profile hostages, Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez, as a result of Mr Chavez's mediation. Mr Chavez calls on the US and European governments to stop treating Colombian left-wing rebel groups as terrorists, but Mr Uribe rejects the idea. 2008 <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> March - A Colombian cross-border strike into Ecuador kills senior Farc rebel Raul Reyes and sparks a diplomatic crisis with both Ecuador and Venezuela. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2008** May - Colombia extradites 14 paramilitary warlords to the United States to stand trial on drug trafficking charges. US hails move as evidence Colombia deserves trade deal. Colombian opposition complains the extraditions mean that the militia leaders will not reveal their alleged links to political allies of Mr Uribe. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Farc announces death of its leader and founder, Manuel Marulanda. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2008** June - Colombia renews low-level diplomatic relations with Ecuador.

<span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Betancourt freed** <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2008** July - Colombian army rescues the country's highest-profile hostage, Ingrid Betancourt, held in captivity for six years by Farc. She was among 15 hostages freed in an operation in the southern-central region of Guaviare. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2008** November - The sudden collapse of pyramid investment schemes - used by some of the poorest savers - triggers violent protests. Several towns are put under curfew. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2009** February - Farc rebels free six high-profile hostages, including a former provincial governor held since 2001. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2009** March - Farc releases a Swedish man thought to be the group's last foreign hostage, Erik Roland Larsson. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">President Alvaro Uribe offers Farc rebels peace talks if they halt "criminal activities" and declare a cease-fire. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2009** July-August - Relations with Venezuela deteriorate again after plans to allow US troops to use Colombian military bases as part of a drive to curb drug-trafficking are unveiled. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Venezuela withdraws its ambassador from Bogota and freezes relations after the Colombian government accuses Caracas of supplying arms to Farc rebels; Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez accuses Colombia of carrying out a military incursion into his country. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2009** October - Colombia and US sign deal giving the US military access to seven Colombian bases. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2009** November - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urges his armed forces to be prepared for war with Colombia and orders 15,000 troops to the border, amid growing tensions. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Former army Gen Jaime Humberto Uscategui is given 40-year jail sentence for his role in killing of unarmed civilians by right-wing paramilitaries.

<span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Common cause** <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2009** December - The Marxist rebel groups - the Farc and the smaller National Liberation Army (ELN) - announce that they intend to stop fighting each other and concentrate on attacking the armed forces. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Farc rebels kill the governor of the southern state of Caqueta, Luis Francisco Cuellar. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2010** February - Constitutional court rules against holding of referendum on whether President Uribe should be allowed to run for a third consecutive term. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2010** July - Venezuela cuts diplomatic ties with Colombia after being accused of harbouring Farc rebels. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**2010** August - Juan Manuel Santos takes over as president. <span style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Colombia and Venezuela restore diplomatic ties.