Read about Colombia’s tumultuous political history and the origins of the groups involved in its ongoing civil war. Trace the evolution of the armed conflict from the rise of the guerrilla groups out of the political struggles of the 1950s and 1960s up through the emergence of the paramilitaries in the 1980s. Learn about the drug trade. its transformational impact on Colombian society and politics, and about the influence of the United States’ War on Drugs on Colombian affairs. Finally, find out how the Colombian government has responded to the country’s chronic problems, and how it has struggled with human rights issues in its efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict.