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Colombia - Presidential Flags

Last modified: 2009-08-29 by dov gutterman
Keywords: colombia | president |
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image by Jaume Ollé, 27 October 2001

NOTE: The inscription on this flag currently reads only "REPUBLICA DE COLOMBIA" (see below)



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Overview

Ratio 2:3. Adopted: 9 November 1949. In use except small changes of the shield. Normally it has been used with a bordered red circle. Often in the red it has been written in gilded letters: Republica de Colombia - Presidencia (or Presidente). The executive decree that creates the flag does not mention neither the red circle, nor the inscription.
Jaume Ollé

Presently, a presidential falg also exists. It is the national flag with a white circle at the center, the circle is bordered by a red line. Inside the circle is the coat of arms. The inscription "Presidencia de la República" is on the red line. This flag is also used by other government institutions of the three branches, but they change the inscription accordingly (e.g., "Senado de la República" -senate-, "Ministerio de Defensa - defense minstry , "Corte Suprema de Justicia" -supreme court, etc...)
My source is "Banderas y Escudos del Mundo EASA", Editorial América S.A., 1986., as well as personal experience
Jaime Vengoechea , 10 April 1999

Concering 'Pavillons nationaux et marques distinctives' [pay00], Fig. 2 (naval ensign) - Note 1 says in wartime it have red border around the disk containing the Coat of Arms, Fig. 7 is presidential flag, being the national flag with red bordered white disk with Coat of Arms. Are they the same?
Željko Heimer, 9 January 2001

Not exactly (different dimension of red ring).
Armand du Payrat, 9 January 2001

The info above mention that the presidential flag often bears gold inscription "Republic of Colomba - President" (in appropriate language, of course). However, it is also said that the legislation does not prescribe the red border at all (in presidential flag). The same flag as presidential (or maybe as naval during wartime) is apparently used by various govermental offices, with appropriate inscription in red border. But, maybe that is not the state ensign described, but rather the indoors flags of those offices.
Željko Heimer, 12 January 2001

On presidential flag the red ring is smaller in diameter then the naval ensign and not reaching (or just touching, depending on source) the red stripe.
Željko Heimer, 17 May 2001

At [pay00] - President of the Republic (2:3) - National flag with the Coat of Arms on white disk surrounded with a red ring. This might include golden inscription (as it seems from some images on <www.presidencia.co> that the version without inscription in used (sometimes?) for table flags and similar). Though, what's exactly inscribed in the ring is not quite clear, and the reports above are two- (or even three) fold. It may be that the exact wording is not prescribed and maybe it depends on the manufacturer. On top there are the uninscribed version and one with inscription according to my interpretation (based on one of the possibilities reported above).
Željko Heimer, 20 May 2001

In the Presidencial Flag the inscription REPUBLICA DE COLOMBIA and the inferior part of the circle LIBERTAD Y ORDEN.
Felipe Carrillo, 16 November 2002

The flag with red ring (no inscription) appear at Fachinger Collection - Plate 6 as: "Colombia".
Jaume Olle', 12 June 2004

Here is a photo of the Colombian elected President Álvaro Uribe Vélez when he took office, on August 7th, 2002 (His term is due on 2006) with the presidential flag and presidential sash.
E. R., 22 March 2005

There is a photo of a flag at today's NY Times after the rescue of the FARC hostages. It contrasts with what we have in that the seal extends only halfway into the blue stripe. The inscription on this flag reads simply "REPUBLICA DE COLOMBIA".
Albert S. Kirsch, 4 July 2008

According to the latest legislation on Colombian flags, in Article No. 8 of Decree No. 1967 of August 15, 1991 it says that the Bandera Nacional (National Flag), the official name of the Colombian flag, can only be used with the Coat of Arms by the President and the Armed Forces, being called Bandera de Guerra (War Flag). Then on Article No. 12 it says that the Coat of Arms can be used in the Bandera Nacional del Presidente de La República (President of the Republic National Flag), official name of the Presiden'ts flag, War Flags, and official documentation.
E. R., 25 August 2008


Variants


image by Jaume Ollé, 27 October 2001


image by Jaume Ollé, 27 October 2001


image by Jaume Ollé, 27 October 2001

Presidential flag as legislated (never used), and the three patterns really in use.
Jaume Ollé, 27 October 2001


Previous Flags

1)
image by Željko Heimer, 20 May 2001

2)
image by Željko Heimer, 20 May 2001

These flags are displaying the 1955 Coat of Arms.
E.R., 25 August 2005


Casa de Nariño


image by Eugene Ipavec, 2 July 2006

There is an image of the President of Colombia (Álvaro Uribe Vélez), with the Colombian tricolor on the background and the flag of the Casa de Nariño (Nariño' House), which is the Presidential house. > The flag is the same as the Senate flag, only instead of the word SENADO, it should be CASA DE NARIÑO.
Source: <www.armada.mil.co>.
E. R., 2 July 2006


Presidential Sash

   
2002-2006 sash
image by Eugene Ipavec and Francisco Gregoric, 5 July 2006

The only difference regarding other countries that I've had the chance to see their presidential sash (like Venezuela, Chile or Bolivia) is that the Colombian Presidential Sash has the Coat of Arms with red outline and on the top: REPUBLICA DE COLOMBIA (in golden letters) and on the bootom the presidential term (usually other countries' shashes do not include the Presidential term). So for this last President (Alvaro Uribe Velez), his term is 2002-2006 (in golden letters), and so you can read this on the bottom of the sash.
Source: <www.latinamericanstudies.org>.
E. R., 5 July 2006

Today Colombia's reelected President takes charge for the 2006-2010 term. He will use the same Presidential Sash that he wore during the inauguration ceremony, back on August 7, 2002. The only change will be on the years that appear on the Coat of Arms.
E. R., 7 August 2006

Variant

   
image by Eugene Ipavec and Francisco Gregoric, 21 July 2007

I found a variant of the Colombian Presidential Sash. During Álvaro Uribe's second term as President (2006-2010), he is wearing a sash without a red fring around the Coat of Arms.
Source: Colombian Presidency official website.
E. R., 21 July 2007

Previous Sash

   
image by Eugene Ipavec and Francisco Gregoric, 17 June 2009

I found some pictures showing Carlos Eugenio Restrepo who was President of Colombia between 1910 and 1914. In these pictures you can see the Presidential Sash with the Coat of Arms used at the time, the simple Coat of Arms (that is no flags on the sides as ornament) with the Andean Condor on top.
Sources: <www.lablaa.org>, wikipedia.
E. R., 17 June 2009


Vice President Flag

'World News Today' on BBC4 tv in the UK (and also, I believe, on BBC World tv) had a report from Colombia on 9 June 2008 which included an interview with the Vice-President. A close-up showed that the flag behind him was the Vice-Presidential flag and the seal does indeed extend just part-way into the blue stripe. The separators between the top and bottom sections of the ring of wording are more like tildes rather than bullets.
André Coutanche, 4 July 2008