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History of Colombia states that Colombia had major focus on domestic issues than international affairs. In the 19th Century, foreign relations of Colombia were centered around the border disputes with Peru, Brazil, Venezuela and Panama.
Talking about the foreign relations of Colombia, with the separation of Venezuela from Colombia, the relation between the two nations changed drastically. Disputes started arising between Colombia and Venezuela after the segregation of Gran Colombia in 1830. It was in 1922 that clash between the boundaries of Peru and Colombia was resolved. But, in 1932, problem pertaining to the borders again gained momentum. When in 1932, Peru captured Leticia in the Amazon Basin; clash between the two nations came alive. In 1934, a League of Nations resolved the problem and Leticia was returned to Colombia.
After the World War II, Colombia started working towards strengthening its foreign relations. Colombia emerged as an important participant in the San Francisco Conference that took place in 1945. In Fact, Colombia proved to be a leading opponent of the big-power. In order to strengthen its foreign relations, Colombia argued for the regional organizations. Article 51 of the United Nations Charter laid more emphasis on the regional organizations. Colombia used this Article as a support to its arguments.
Colombia foreign relations were never as active as it was in 1948, when Colombia played a significant role in the creation of Organization of American States. The foreign relations at Colombia took another dimension with the declaration of Lleras Camargo, a former Colombian president, as the first secretary general of the Organization of American States in Bogota.
Being more precise, Colombia had a good relation with the United States. In fact, the international relation between the nations improved tremendously during the pro-American Prastrana administration. The relation between Colombia and the United States was strained during the pro-European presidency.
Furthermore, the relation between Colombia and the European Union has also been very cordial. The European Union is, in fact, helping Colombia through socio-economic investments, so that it could reach a negotiated solution for its internal conflicts.
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