Colombia signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December of 1997, and ratified it in Septemeber of 2000. While the ratification of the treaty signifies a step in the right direction for Colombia, the country's situation is complicated due to the fact that it is currently engaged in armed conflict. The use of landmines by armed guerrilla forces make it extremely difficult to effectively enforce the treaty.

According to “La Compaña Colombiana Contra Minas” (The Colombian Campaign against Landmines), Colombia is the most mine-affected country in the Western Hemisphere. The organization also reported that approximately 15 percent of Colombia’s territory contains at least 100,000 landmines. In addition, Colombia is the only country in Latin America where new mines are being both produced and implemented on a regular basis.

Landmines are most widely used by two leftist guerrilla insurgencies: Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, (FARC, or in english: Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces Army), and the Unión Camilista-Ejército Nacional de Liberación Nacional, (UC-ELN, or National Liberation Army). Both groups are recognized by the U.S. Department of State as foreign terrorsit organizations.

The assasination of liberal leader leader, Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, in 1948 marked the beginning of "La Violencia" (The Violence) in Colombia. About 3,000 lives were los between 1948 and 1957. In 1953, General Gustavo Rojas led a coup against Conservative Party leader Laureno Gómez. Both the liberal and conservative parties were disappointed with Rojas’ inability to restore democracy, and became even more outraged when Rojas was accused of corruption. With the support of both political parties, Rojas was overthrown by the military in 1957. This alliance between the Liberal and Conservative parties resulted in the "National Front", which ultimately ended La Violencia. The National Front was a system in which both parties would govern together. There would be regular presidential elections every four years, and both parties would have equal say in all other elective and appointive offices. This system did not last long, as it was eventually phased out by 1978 (U.S. Department of State, Background Note: Colombia).

FARC and ELN were founded in the early 1960s in an attempt to push communist ideals, give power to the poor working class, and to oppose the influence of the West, specifically the United States. Both groups operate mostly in rural areas outside of the major cities, making it difficult for the Colombian government to effectively monitor their activity. It should be noted that FARC and ELN are not partner organizations; in fact, they are rivals.

Both FARC and UC-ELN use landmines to defend territories where they traffic drugs and kidnapped persons, in addition to where they maintain base camps. Minefields may also be placed in front of points of strategic interest, such as oil pipelines. A 2001 U.S. Department of State report on human rights in Colombia notes that the two aforementioned groups combined have laid approximately 50,000 mines in rural areas, with even more in undetermined locations.

The current President of Colombia is independent Alvaro Uribe. He was elected in 2002 under the platform that he would make Colombia a safer country by stopping the violent attacks and threats carried out by the FARC and ELN. Despite several attempts and talks between the government, both FARC and ELN have continuously rejected or broken cease fire agreements, although, the groups have been weakened by increased military and government action.

The guerilla groups are not the only ones who employ landmines. The Colombian government has been accused of producing landmines at the Industria Militar facility, and has since been ordered to cease production and destroy the mines. The Colombian Army has laid around 20,000 landmines, and is currently in the process of destroying them. However, the use of landmines by FARC and ELN makes it difficult to determine the exact number of landmines in Colombia, and their location. This poses a threat to Colombian society as a whole, for, as a result, most threats of landmines go unverified until it is too late. (Landmine Monitor, Landmine Report, 1999).

There is no doubt, after studying government and United Nations statistics, that children in Colombia are the most heavily affected by this crisis. As of 2002, at least two people a day are dying as a result of landmine explosions. 50 percent of the non-military victims of landmines in Colombia are children - who suffer from loss of limbs, or either immediate or slow and painful death. Beyond physical pain, children are often unable to attend school; either as a direct effect of the placement of minefields, or because their family's livelihoods are destroyed and they are forced to relocate several times.

Most mine clearance efforts are conducted by the military. There is a serious lack of humanitarian aid where it is needed most - in rural areas. Due to the fact that most mine accidents occurr in rural areas, it is extremely difficult for survivors to seek appropriate medical help in time. Colombia is in need of more mine clearance, as well as landmine survivor help. Furthermore, even when internal combat in Colombia ends, landmines will still exist, and the government will face the large and arduous task not just of rebuilding a society after decades of conflict, but of identifying and clearing mines to further protect the safety of it's citizens.