Colombian Liberal Party

The Colombian Liberal Party (Spanish: Partido Liberal Colombiano; PLC) is a social democratic and liberal party in Colombia. The party's current chief, after being selected in June 2005, is former president César Gaviria Trujillo.

Related Topics:
Spanish - Social democratic - Liberal - Colombia - June - 2005 - César Gaviria Trujillo

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It is the largest single party in the Colombian Congress, with 54 out of 161 deputies, and 28 of 102 senators. The current President of Colombia, Álvaro Uribe Vélez, is a former member of the party, having crafted all of his political career prior to his election (where he ran as an independent Liberal) inside it.

Related Topics:
President of Colombia - Álvaro Uribe Vélez

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Most of the current "Officialist" (as named by the Colombian press) leadership of the Liberal Party is openly opposed to Uribe's government and his policies, but he has the strong backing of a substantial minority within the party, including a majority of the elected Liberal congressmen (classified as "Uribist" Liberals by the media), a few of which are currently experiencing an internal investigation for alleged "party indiscipline" (their failing to abide by the liberal party's official stance, especially because of their support for several government measures, including a successful reform to the constitution which allows presidents to run for a second consecutive term in office).

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These two factions, according to some observers, may be considered as a renewal of the old "split" between "neoliberal" and more "social" minded Liberal politicians, though the formula is not without its exceptions.

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The Liberal Party is a member of Socialist International. From 1958 to 1978 it, and the other major party, the Colombian Conservative Party, shared power as the result of the National Front agreement that followed the fall of General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla.

Related Topics:
Socialist International - 1958 - 1978 - Colombian Conservative Party - National Front - Gustavo Rojas Pinilla

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