Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from
the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and
Venezuela). A 40-year insurgent campaign to overthrow the Colombian
Government escalated during the 1990s, undergirded in part by funds
from the drug trade. Although the violence is deadly and large swaths
of the countryside are under guerrilla influence, the movement lacks
the military strength or popular support necessary to overthrow the
government. While Bogota continues to try to negotiate a settlement,
neighboring countries worry about the violence spilling over their
borders.