Colombia

It is the practice and privilege of the World Bank to provide incoming presidential administrations in its client, countries with a comprehensive diagnosis of their development position-and with independent policy recommendations to advance it. That practice appears particularly pertinent for Colombia today. President Uribe is to lead a nation of immensely talented people and with abundant natural resources that, for far too long, has been trapped in a deepening circle of violence, destruction, and poverty. There is now an opportunity to break that circle, and this book is meant to help new authorities seize that opportunity. The book begins by offering a synthesis of the development challenges that the incoming president is likely to face as well as possible policy responses. Thirty-one sector-specific chapters make up Part II. Throughout, the intention is not to provide definitive answers, but to trigger and support policy debate in Colombia at a historic juncture.