Parliamentary elections were held in Colombia on 11 March 1990 alongside local elections and an unofficial referendum on electing a Constitutional Assembly.Elections in 1990
IPUColombia, 11 March 1990
Direct Democracy

Background

After the murder of presidential candidate

Luis Carlos Galán Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento (29 September 1943 – 18 August 1989) was a Colombian liberal politician and journalist who ran for the Presidency of Colombia on two occasions, the first time for the political movement New Liberalism that he fou ...

in August 1989, students started a movement calling for a referendum "for peace and democracy" to be held on 21 January 1990. However, under pressure from drug cartels, the government rejected the proposal. The students then set up the "We can still save Colombia" movement, which called for a referendum alongside the general elections on 11 March 1990 on establishing a Constitutional Assembly. Whilst the referendum campaign remained unofficial, it was encouraged by the Ministry of Government. Voters cast votes with six ballots for various levels of government. The campaign encouraged them to add a seventh ballot, "la séptima papeleta", with their referendum vote on it.Elections and Events 1990-1994
UC San Diego

Campaign

The campaign was marked by violence from left- and right-wing paramilitary groups linked to drug cartels. Several politicians were killed. Two days before the election the

19th of April Movement The 19th of April Movement ( es, Movimiento 19 de Abril), or M-19, was a Colombian guerrilla organisation movement. After its demobilization it became a political party, the M-19 Democratic Alliance (), or AD/M-19. The M-19 traced its or ...

signed a peace treaty with the government and participated in the elections.

Results

Senate

Chamber of Representatives

Referendum

Aftermath

Following the unofficial referendum, President

Virgilio Barco Vargas Virgilio Barco Vargas (17 September 1921 – 20 May 1997) was a Colombian politician and civil engineer who served as the 27th President of Colombia serving from 7 August 1986 to 7 August 1990. Early life Barco was born in Cúcuta in the Nort ...

issued decree 927 on 3 May calling for a referendum on electing a Constitutional Assembly alongside the

presidential elections A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The pr ...

on 27 May. Although this was in violation of article 218 of the constitution, which gave

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

sole rights to reform the constitution, the referendum was approved by the Supreme Court.Colombia, 27 May 1990: Election of a Constitutional Assembly
Direct Democracy The Assembly was elected in December 1990, and produced the 1991 constitution.

References

{{Colombian elections Parliamentary elections in Colombia Referendums in Colombia 1990 in Colombia Colombia Colombia Election and referendum articles with incomplete results