Colombia: A state in the twilight between war and peace

Abstract

The history of Colombia has been defined by the paradox of the coexistence of violence and economic growth. While the economy of the country has grown almost uninterruptedly since the middle of the 20th century, the state is still not fully capable of reasserting its presence nor of providing justice or security for all of its citizens across its territory. This chapter analyses the paradox of the coexistence of armed violence and economic growth in Colombia as an emerging property of a political economy of violence in which segments within the elites of the country benefit by the lack of security and justice. Violence is good for business, although not good for statehood.