xecutive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Ernesto SAMPER Pizano
(since 7 August 1994); election last held 29 May 1994 (next to be held
May 1998) and resulted in no candidate receiving more than 50% of the
total vote; a run-off election to select a president from the two
leading candidates was held on 19 June 1994; results - Ernesto SAMPER
Pizano (Liberal Party) 50.4%, Andres PASTRANA Arango (Conservative
Party) 48.6%, blank votes 1%; Humberto de la CALLE was elected vice
president in a new proceedure that replaces the traditional
designation of vice presidents by newly elected presidents.
cabinet: Cabinet

Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso)
Senate (Senado): elections last held 13 March 1994 (next to be held NA
March 1998); preliminary results - percent of vote by party NA; seats
- (102 total) Liberal Party 59, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and
NDF) 31, other 12
House of Representatives (Camara de Representantes): elections last
held 13 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998); preliminary
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (161 total) Liberal
Party 89, conservatives (includes PC, MSN, and NDF) 53, AD/M-19 2,
other 17

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justical),
Constitutional Court, Council of State

Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party (PL), Juan Guillermo
ANGEL; Conservative Party (PC), Fabio VALENCIA Cossio; National
Salvation Movement (MSN), Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado; New Democratic Force
(NDF), Andres PASTRANA Arango; Democratic Alliance M-19 (AD/M-19) is a
coalition of small leftist parties and dissident liberals and
conservatives; Patriotic Union (UP) is a legal political party formed
by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and Colombian
Communist Party (PCC), Carlos ROMERO

Other political or pressure groups: three insurgent groups are active
in Colombia - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Manuel
MARULANDA and Alfonso CANO; National Liberation Army (ELN), Manuel
PEREZ; and dissidents of the recently demobilized People's Liberation
Army (EPL), Francisco CARABALLO; Francisco CARABALLO was captured by
the government in June 1994

Member of: AG, CCC, CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA,
NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL, PCA