Population Policy in Colombia: A Holistic Approach

Development used to be a synonym for economic growth, but today, given the limitations that population growth places upon the increase of per capita income in the developing nations, there is a risk that foreign aid and international technical assistance could equate development with birth control. It is argued that development is something more than simple growth, that population policies must also be considered as an important element of a national strategy taking into account all aspects of the process of development, and that the adoption of such a policy must be a matter reserved to the autonomous decision of each state. This enterprise has been facilitated in the experience of Colombia because of the recent institutional reforms which strengthened the power of the government and institutionalized the process of national planning. This experience is interesting because Colombia used to be considered one of the most traditional countries in Latin America, particularly in the area of population where its political and religious leaders manifested a strong pronatalist tendency.