Historian



[Colombia Timeline]

1525 - Spain begins conquest of Colombia.

1819 - Simon Bolivar defeats Spanish at Boyaca. Republic of Gran Colombia formed with Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela.

1829-30- When Venezuela and Ecuador split, Gran Colombia dissolved, leaving present-day Colombia and Panama a separate state known as Nueva Granada.

1849- Liberal and Conservative parties founded.

1899-1902- During the War of a Thousand Days, about 100,000 people were killed. The fight was taken between Liberal and Conservative parties over control of the presidency.

1930-33- The Liberal Party wins the 1930’s election and implements more progressive social and economic reforms.

1948-57 - 250,000-300,000 killed in civil war.

1966 - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (the current largest guerrilla group) set up.

1984 - Campaign against drug traffickers stepped up.

1989- USA began to supply the Colombian government with military equipment to help rid Colombia of drug dealers.

1998 - Andres Pastrana Arango - a Conservative - elected president, begins peace talks with guerrillas

2000 September - Government freezes talks;Later, Farc refuses to resume talks, accuses Pastrana of not stopping paramilitary groups.

2001 February - The Farc return to peace talks after meeting between "Sureshot" and Pastrana

2002 May - Independent candidate Alvaro Uribe wins a first-round presidential election victory, promises to crack down hard on rebel groups.

2004 May - Farc's Ricardo Palmera, the most senior Colombian guerrilla ever captured, is jailed for 35 years