Foreign policy of Colombia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Foreign policy of Colombia - Essay Example The economic and political dynamics being experienced in the 21st century have necessitated the need for countries to formulate effective foreign policies defining their relations with their international partners. The liberalization of world market has created the need for countries to form trading blocks in order to safeguard their economic interests. The collapse of the Soviet Union created new political alignments, as different countries attempt to assert their influence in the world. Formulation of foreign policy in such a dynamic world subjects many countries in pragmatic and ideological dilemma, making the process quite challenging. Colombia is not an exception and this paper examines the foreign policy of the Latin American country from 1989 to the present. The first part examines the historical foundation of Colombian foreign policy during the cold war, focusing on its main principles. The second part focuses on Colombian relations with regional and international partners an d finally the changes of country’s foreign policies since 1990. The foreign policy of Colombia has historically been inclined to western and anti communist ideologies during and after the cold war. After the Second World War, the Soviet Union developed immense global influence that spread across all continents including Latin America. This resulted to polarization of global ideologies, between communism and capitalism. The foreign policies of all countries in the world were divided between the two super powers, the capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union. The United States emerged the more dominant power after the collapse of the Soviet Union and Colombian foreign policy was strategically aligned to it.... After the collapse of the Soviet Union, United States emerged as the sole global superpower. Therefore, inclining the foreign policy of Colombia towards the superpower became the most pragmatic approach of ensuring security of its economic and political interests. Since 1989, Columbian dependence on the United States military support and funding has increased considerably (Randall, 141). The economic and security threat posed by persistent internal insurgency in Colombia since 1940s and the effects of illegal drug trafficking in the region played a critical role in orienting the country’s foreign policy towards United States (Randall, 142). Therefore, the high dependence of the country on United States and the desire to uphold the international law has compelled Colombian foreign policy to embrace a multilateral approach to balance its relations with the US and global and regional organizations. United States and the neighboring Latin American countries have historically playe d a critical role in the Colombian politics, security and economy. According to Randall, United States is the largest foreign market for Colombian products. In 2007, Randall (142) noted that Colombia exported goods worth over$9.4 billion to United States and imported merchandize worth over $8.5 billion from the US. The neighboring countries, especially Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico are significant Colombian trading partners. In 2007, the total volume of trade between Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico and Brazil was valued at $4.1 billion, $3.3 billion and $2.5 billion respectively (Randall, 142). In addition, Germany is an important Colombian economic partner with total trade between the two states valued at $1.5 billion in 2007(142). Therefore, economic factors play a crucial role in defining