This report discusses President Bush's 2003 requests for new funding and additional authority to provide assistance to Colombia and six regional neighbors in a continuation of the Andean Regional Initiative (ARI) launched in 2001.

On December 4, 1991, President George Bush signed into law the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) to counter illicit drug production and trade in Latin America. For ten years, it has provided preferential, mostly duty-free, treatment of selected U.S. imports from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The goal of ATPA is to encourage increased exports, thereby promoting development and providing an incentive for Andean farmers and other workers to pursue economic alternatives to the drug trade. This report discusses the ATPA, its background, and issues regarding its potential reauthorization.

This report outlines the various aspects of the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), including significant dates and modifications. The ATPA extends special duty treatment to certain U.S. imports from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru that meet domestic content and other requirements. The purpose of ATPA is to promote economic growth in the Andean region and to encourage a shift away from dependence on illegal drugs by supporting legitimate economic activities.

Fotografía de la Plaza de Bolívar en Cartagena, Colombia. En el centro de la plaza hay una estatua de Simón Bolívar a caballo. La torre de la Catedral de Santa Catalina de Alejandría es visible al fondo, entre los árboles.

Photograph of Church Street (Calle de la Iglesia) in Cartagena, Colombia. Buildings line both sides of the street with most of them having small balconies. A few cars are parked in the street. The tower of the Catedral de Santa Catalina de Alejandría (Cathedral of Saint Catherine of Alexandria) is visible in the background at the end of the street.

Fotografía de un cañón en el Castillo San Felipe de Barajas en Cartagena, Colombia. El cañón domina una escultura y una masa de agua. A lo lejos se ve otra parte de la fortaleza.

Photograph of five children posing on a bench in front of a white church on the Isla de Tierra Bomba (Tierrabomba Island). Some of the children appear to be eating while others are looking at the camera.

Photograph of four children laying on the ground under a bench and looking at the camera. The photograph was taken on the Isla de Tierra Bomba (Tierrabomba Island). The bench has yellow text painted on it in Spanish.

Photograph of the Torre del Reloj de Cartagena (The Clock Tower of Cartagena) in Cartagena, Colombia. The Torre del Reloj is the main city gate of the historic center of Cartagena de Indias, in Colombia and the original entrance of the fortified city. The main gate has also been known as "Puerta del Reloj" and "Boca del Puente." A street runs along the brick gate with people walking alongside it. The clocktower is just behind the main gate entrance and is painted a pale yellow color. Various buildings are visible in the background.

This report provides an overview of recent political developments in Colombia, including the administration of President Uribe (2002-2010), continuing into the election of President Juan Manuel Santos. It discusses the political issues including Colombia's longstanding conflict with internal armed groups and ongoing challenges such as human rights, demobilization and displacement, drug trends, and Colombia's regional relations.

Photograph of the Fuerte de San Fernando de Bocachica (Castle of San Luis de Bocachica) in Cartagena, Colombia. The fortress is located on the Isla de Tierra Bomba (Tierrabomba Island). A man and a woman are laying down on the top of a brick wall. The structure was a military fortress built in order to protect the city.

Photograph of Lorena Parlee standing near Manizales highway in Honda, Colombia. She stands near a fence and smiles at the camera. A lush landscape of mountains can be seen in the background behind her.

Photograph of a man walking off to the left. He is wearing a long striped shirt, a hat and a shawl over his shoulder. A small metal building can be seen behind him.

Photograph of a man walking towards the photographer in the town of Honda in Colombia. The man is wearing a poncho, pants and a hat while carrying a basket in one hand. Five horses can be seen standing in the background.

Photograph of a market along a dirt road in Cartagena, Colombia. The road is filled with people shopping as well as vendors. The vendors are staged along the left side of the road, in front of a row of buildings.

Photograph of a market on the water's edge in Cartagena, Colombia. A vendor is selling bananas from a cart to other individuals. People can be seen canoeing on the water behind the market. A large number of boats are docked on the opposite side of the water. The Bocagrande neighborhood is also visible on the other side of the water.

Photograph of a market along a dirt road in Cartagena, Colombia. The road is filled with people shopping as well as vendors. Many of the vendors have wooden carts and some are selling produce. City buildings are visible in the distance.

Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story of a Columbian airliner which crashed into a hill near Bogota after take off.

Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story of governor Briscoe who has offered to send Medical Aid teams from the University of Texas Medical school at Galveston.

Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story of 2 violent earthquakes which jolted major portions of Colombia causing damages to churches, homes and office buildings.

Photograph of people canoeing and standing along the Magdalena River in Honda, Colombia. Four empty canoes are visible near the rocky shore in the foreground. A mountain is visible in the background on the opposite side of the mountain.

Photograph of people canoeing along the Magdalena River in Honda, Colombia. A hill is present on the other side of the river and has multiple houses placed on it. In the distance, a bridge and a mountain can be seen.

In this work, superficial to the extreme, it is my purpose to offer a review of the development of lyric poetry ("poesía lírica") in Colombia throughout its history. It is logical that because of the extent of the subject it is not possible to give a complete treatment of our political history, though I have tried not to leave out points of significance. The classification of authors and of poems, as well as the division of periods I have made arbitrarily, guided by my own criteria. Thus, I have the Romantic period divided into romanticism and post-romanticism, according to the dates generally regarded as the beginning and end of these two literary movements. In reality, romanticism only ended with the beginning of modernism, and one cannot therefore distinguish romantic poets from post-romantic poets. Due to the nature of this thesis, many poets--some of them well known--will not be mentioned. However, my intention is not to write a lyric anthology, but to reveal the spirit of Columbia through her poets and her poetry.

The purpose of this investigation is to examine the political factors which came into the creation and implementation of the Andean Foreign Investment Code. This study analyzes the political forces in the creation of the Code and examines the implementation of the Code in each of the Andean countries. This investigation concludes that although the Code has not been implemented uniformly in the Andean countries, it remains an important part of the Andean Common Market. In addition, the continual political consensus among the member countries is emphasized for the continuation of the Andean integration effort.