Domestic policy During his presidency, Restrepo was known as
Monsieur Veto for his common practice of
vetoing any
bill he deemed not in favor of the nation. Some of the policies that took place during Restrepo's mandate were the abolition of the
capital punishment, the annual meeting of
Congress, the installment of life pensions for retired teachers, and the constructions of various hospitals in the
Caribbean Region to combat
tropical diseases. Restrepo received the country with grave
fiscal problems. There was a
deficit of
COP$3.5 millions to COP$4 million. The new president forced the collection of taxes and reduced government spending, achieving an end to the deficit in less than a year; by 1911 there was a surplus. The
Economy of Colombia was improved with the raise of taxes and the raise in the
price and exports of coffee. The administration prohibited the new emission of
banknotes, and he reinstated the
Gold and
Silver standard. He reformed the
Colombian National Police, introducing the
Fingerprinting system, the creation of the first Judicial Body of the National Police, the first training academy, the Police marching band, and the official magazine of the National Police. He also helped establish a financial aids program for the families of fallen police officers.
Creation of new territorial administrations To address the growing concern of Colombia in relation to its borders, and with the help of the National Census of 1912, the Colombian government created the
Intendencia of
San Andres y Providencia and the
Comisarías of
Caquetá, and
Vichada to reinstate Colombia's claim on these territories from the
UPCA,
Peru, and
Venezuela respectively. These territories were later made into
Departments following the Constitutional changes of 1991.
Foreign policy Colombia's Foreign relations during the administration of Restrepo were marked by the continued threat of a Peruvian invasion into Colombian territory, and continued resentment towards the United States for its involvement in Panama. Restrepo, conscious of Colombia's weak military power towards these aggressors, tried to solve matters diplomatically. President Restrepo had four
Ministers of Foreign Affairs during his presidency, they were in order,
Enrique Olaya,
José María González Valencia,
Pedro Maria Carreño, and
Francisco José Urrutia.
Relations with Peru The foreign relations of Colombia with
Peru were of growing concern for many Colombians and the government. The Colombian Jungles of the
Putumayo and
Caquetá, in the south of Colombia became the centre of conflict and debate during the administration of Restrepo. The borders with Peru were not clearly marked, and this became a problem during the first half of the century. The
Casa Arana, a Peru-based
rubber company, had expanded into Colombian territory, and was exploiting its resources and oppressing the Indigenous people of this region. The situation became national news when reported killings of natives was reported to have been committed by Casa Arana, and in July 1911, Peruvian forces attacked the military base stationed in
La Pedrera. . The growing pressure of Congress and the public to go to war was met with some stiff opposition. Colombia had just recovered from the
Thousand Days' War, and did not wish to be involved in another conflict, nor it had the resources to do so. Restrepo, was opposed to armed conflict, and wished to resolve matters diplomatically. Colombia's Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time,
Enrique Olaya, who had the total support of the president, handled the matter with a hand great efficacy. On July 15, 1911, Olaya Herrera, and his Peruvian counterpart, Ernesto de Tezanos Pinto, signed a
modus vivendi agreement. This alone would not have ended the conflict, if it were not because there was a
beriberi and
yellow fever outbreak within the Peruvian army in the area, causing a great number of casualties. For now the conflict was resolved, but it would again surface in 1934 with the
Colombia–Peru War.
Relations with the United States and Panama The Foreign relations of Colombia with the United States and Panama during the presidency of Restrepo were marked by Colombia's continued resentment towards the United States for its participation in the
Separation of Panama from Colombia and its continued involvement in
Latin America. Restrepo was also critical of the
United States involvement in the Mexican Revolution, which he considered as a "
violation of the rights of and an attack on international justice". On April 6, 1914, during the administrations of Presidents Restrepo and
Woodrow Wilson, and after months of negotiations, the
United States Ambassador to Colombia Thaddeus Austin Thompson and the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Francisco José Urrutia, signed the
Thomson–Urrutia Treaty, where Colombia recognized Panama's independence, and received free access to the
Panama Canal, and the United States offered an official apology for its involvement in the separation, and offered to pay $25 million as compensation to the Colombian government. This was a great victory for the Colombian government as it resolved the conflict with Panama and mended the ties with its neighbors. This treaty was controversial in the United States as many regarded it as an unjust condemnation of president
Theodore Roosevelt's policies. ==Post-presidency==