Author Description

Colombia is usually associated with drug cartels, guerrilla wars and violence. But the second most populous Spanish-speaking nation after Mexico is changing. The economy is already larger, by some measures, than South Africa's; if peace talks are successful, it will do better still. This free ebook is an indispensable guide to the new Colombia, reproducing a magazine published earlier this year by the Financial Times. FT writers interview President Juan Manuel Santos and profile both the Bogota establishment and young Colombians to watch. They explore the development challenges of the Colombian outback and the rise of a new national export - security expertise ranging from bullet proof fashion to mercenaries. Essays by Oscar Naranjo, former head of the national police, and Malcolm Deas, historian, provide further context.