Colombian Liberal Party

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

It was the largest single party in the Colombian Congress, with 54 out of 161 deputies, and 28 of 102 senators in 2002. In the election of 2006, the party won 38 out of 166 Deputies and 17 out of 100 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.

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 experienced 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).

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.

At the presidential elections of 28 May 2006, its candidate Horacio Serpa Uribe won 11.84 %. The Liberal Party is a member of Socialist International. From 1958 to 1974 it, and the other major party, the Colombian Conservative Party, shared power as the result of the 16 year National Front agreement that followed the fall of General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla.

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[edit] External links

Official web site
Democracia a distancia: Elecciones 2006 (Portalcol.com) (Information about the party's list of candidates to the Colombian Senate, Spanish).

Political Parties of Colombia
Major Parties	Liberal Party Conservative Party Democratic Pole Party of the U
Minor Parties	Alternative of Social Progress Alterning Road Christian National Party Christians for Community Citizens' Convergence Citizens' Movement Citizens' Political Movement for Bocaya Civic People's Convergence Civic Purpose Colombia Coalition Colombia Always Colombia Unite Colombian Community and Communal Political Movement Colombian People's Party Colombian Social Democratic Party Community Participation Democratic Colombia Party Democratic Progressivity Democratic Unity Party For the Country of our Dreams Front of Hope Huila New and Liberalism Huella Citizens's Movement Independent Absolute Renovation Movement Independent Civic Movement (Colombia) Independent Conservatism Independent Democratic Pole Indigenous Authorities of Colombia Indigenous Social Alliance Movement Liberal Opening Living Colombia Movement Mira Movement Moral and Social Vanguard Party Let's Go Golombia Movimiento Dejen Jugar al Moreno National Democratic Reconstruction National Movement National Popular Alliance National Salvation Movement New Democratic Force New Liberalism People's Integration Movement People's Participation Movement People's Will Movement Political Movement for Social Security Progressive Force Progressive National Movement Radical Change Regional Integration Movement Renovation Movement Labour Action Republican Movement Revolutionary Independent Labour Movement Social Action Party Social and Political Front Team Colombia Unionist Movement United People's Movement We are Colombia Yes Colombia
Historical Parties	Patriotic Union (UP) Hope, Peace and Liberty
See List of political parties in Colombia for a complete list.