Patriotic Union (Colombia)

Patriotic Union
Unión Patriótica
PresidentAída Avella
FoundedMay 28, 1985 (1985-05-28)
HeadquartersBogotá
Youth wingUnion of Patriotic Youth
IdeologyPost-Marxism
Socialism
Democratic socialism
Social democracy
Bolivarianism
Left-wing nationalism
Political positionLeft-wing
National affiliationList of Decency [es] (2017–2018)
Historic Pact for Colombia (2021–)
Regional affiliationSão Paulo Forum
ColoursYellow, Green
Chamber of Representatives
1 / 188
Senate
4 / 108
Party flag
Website
partido-up.org Edit this at Wikidata

The Patriotic Union or UP (in Spanish: Unión Patriótica) is a leftist, Colombian political party, founded by the FARC and the Colombian Communist Party in 1985,[1] as part of the peace negotiations that the guerrillas held with the Conservative Belisario Betancur administration.

The party was subject to political violence from drug lords, paramilitaries and security forces agents during the mid-1980s, leading to its eventual decline, virtual disappearance, and extermination. The Colombian justice system counts 5,733 murdered militants of the Patriotic Union.[2] The Inter-American Court of Human Rights counts more than 8,000 activists murdered and many more disappeared, tortured or displaced.[3]

In September 2002, new electoral laws stripped the UP of formal and legal representative status as a political party, but the Council of State of Colombia gave this status back in July 2013, facilitating its members to again run for office.[4]

  1. ^ "Colombia's FARC Rebels Face Dangers in Possible Return to Politics". Public Radio International. 17 September 2013. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  2. ^ "La Justicia colombiana eleva a 5.733 los muertos en la campaña contra el partido Unión Patriótica". 23 April 2022. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  3. ^ "Fuerza Pública, políticos, empresarios y paramilitares se aliaron contra la UP". 31 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Consejo de Estado le devolvió la personería jurídica a la UP". ElEspectador. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2014.