by Can Tran

Created on: June 03, 2007

The government of Colombia consists of the these entities: Executive Branch, Legislative Branch, Judicial Branch, Control Institutions, and Electoral Institutions. Colombia is divided into thirty-two departments with one capital district which is Bogota. The districts are divided into municipalities, where there are one-thousand one hundred and nineteen total.

Executive Branch is in charge of administering the structure of Colombia's governrment. In the past, the President was elected together with the Vice-President for a single four-year term. Meaning, once your term was over, you couldn't run for President again for the next consecutive term. But that part has been amended to allow for incumbent Presidents to serve up to two consecutive four-year terms.

All other positions are elected for single three-year terms and cannot be re-elected for the next term. They would have to wait for the next term to be over. The President functions as the head of the government and the head of state.

Colombia's Legislative Branch is the Congress of Colombia comprised of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia and the Senate of Colombia. The Chamber has one-hundred and sixty-six members elected for four-year terms. The Senate has one-hundred seats.

The Chamber has the following exclusive powers:

- Elect "People's Defender of Colombia"

- Examine budget and treasury audit by Auditor General

- Indict for impeachment: President, Constitutional Court Justices, Supreme Court Justices, and so forth

- Listen to complains stated by Attorney General of private citizens and recommend impeachment if reasonable

- Request aid of other authorities to pursue investigations

The Senate has the following exclusive powers:

- Approval or rejection of resignations of both President and Vice-President

- Approve or reject military rank promotion of all grades

- Grant leave of absence of President in cases other that sickness and determine reasons are worthy enough

- Allowance of foreign troops to be transported through Colombian territory

- Authorize Colombia to declare war

- Elect court justices

- Elect Attorney General

The Judicial Branch is the court system of Colombia. The Constitutional Court heads up the Judicial Branch and members of that court are appointed by the Colombian National Congress while nominations are made by the President and other high-ranking officials.

In a sense, Colombia's current government is structured like the United States' Federal Government.

Alvaro Uribe Velez is Colombia's current President. The government is a Republic.

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