The Senate (Spanish: Senado) is the upper house of the Congress of Colombia.

The Senate has 102 elected members for four-year terms.

How the Senate is elected

According to the Colombian Constitution, 100 senators (senador(es)) are elected from a single national candidate list. The remaining two are elected from a special list set aside for Indian communities

Senators can be elected by Colombian citizens abroad.

Requirements

To be a senator, a person must be a natural-born Colombian citizen who has attained the age of 30 years at the moment of election.

Exclusive powers of the Senate

1. Approve or reject the resignations of both the President and the Vice-President

2. Approve or reject all military rank promotion at all grades.

3. Grant leaves of absence for the President in cases other than sickness, and determine whether the reasons for the leave are worthy.

4. Allow for the transit of foreign troops through Colombian territory.

5. Authorize the Government to declare war on a foreign nation.

6. Elect the Constitutional Court justices.

7. Elect the Procurer General.

External links

Senate of Colombia website