Discussion Questions

  •  Compare the European takeover of Colombia with the conquest of Peru. What were the long-term effects of these differences?
  • What accounts for the collapse of Simón Bolívar’s project for “greater Colombia”?
  • How did the cultivation and exportation of coffee shape Colombian society?
  • What were the causes and consequences of the bogotazo?
  • Many have argued that Colombia’s “National Front” was a keystone for the country’s democratic development; others have insisted that it more closely resembled Mexico under the PRI. Discuss.
  • How has illicit drug trafficking affected Colombian society and politics? Is there any end in sight?