ABSTRACT
It has long been understood that Colombia's security challenge of multiple types of violence is fundamentally related to a weak state. In the 1980s and 1990s, the state's effectiveness had been called into question, and many feared that Colombia was at risk of becoming a failed state, if it wasn't already one. However, many today consider Colombia a post-conflict country, since conflict with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia that started in 1964, formally ended with peace talks in 2016. To capture politically motivated violence, authors examine tallies of terrorism from the Colombian Ministry of Defense. Prior to the last few decades, it was widely held that Colombia's security forces were insufficient. In 2008, a Brookings report described Colombia as still weak in social welfare and security. It is worth noting that between 2013 and 2016, most of these agencies showed positive gains indicating advancements in transparency, with only Colombia Civil Defense, logistics agency, and Air Force showing mild declines.
