Maritime power in Colombia, analysis and proposal of strategy.

Abstract : This study examines Colombia's maritime vision. Although Colombia has a maritime window on the world it has historically underutilized and underprotected its sea resources. This study argues that the Colombian Government does not have an effective and clear vision as a maritime nation. Chapter 1 presents the research questions and a brief background of Colombia. In Chapter II, a model of the current maritime management of Colombia is developed. In Chapter III, this model is compared with similar management models used in other Latin American countries. Chapter IV is an Organizational Analysis of Colombia's maritime related agencies. Chapter V develops and suggests a strategy to better manage maritime activities in Colombia. Finally, the study's conclusions and recommendations are presented. The study concludes that Colombia as a state has a low maritime consciousness and that there is no common maritime vision to support government policies. The study recommends that an advisory and coordination entity be set up to help create this vision and provide for long-term management of Colombia's maritime resources.