ABSTRACT
The executive branch is the strongest branch of government, and the president is the person with the most power. The Constitution of 1991 allows the president to declare a state of emergency not only in the case of economic problems but also when there are ecological or social difficulties "that constitute a grave public calamity". In addition to the decree power during states of siege, a Colombian president had the power to promulgate regulations interpreting the laws passed by the Congress. Political parties in Colombia have always been elitist instruments of control. Trade associations have joined the traditional parties as the most powerful forces in Colombia since the beginning of the National Front. Probably the most powerful of these is the National Association of Industrialists, which includes not only the large industrialists but also firms in agribusiness, insurance, finance, and commerce.
