Source: United Nations
Click here for a prior LAPO post on the Colombian peace process
On November 30, 2016, Colombia’s Congress passed an up-to-date peace deal to end the decades of violence and long conflict with the country’s largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. This accord, a second attempt at bringing stability to the region, follows a failed endeavor at a popular vote referendum that was defeated by extremely narrow margins.
Despite resilient opposition from former President Álvaro Uribe and his current congressional allies, both the Senate and the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in agreeance to the peace terms that will eventually lead to the disarmament and transition to citizenship for members of the rebel group.
Yet, why are some people in Colombia not cheering? For starters, not only do the new peace talks now legitimize FARC’s political ideology, but also grants impunity to the group by channeling former criminals into civilian life.
Even after years of peace talks in Havana and months of announced impending peace deals, violence continued to increase during the last year. With that, at least 60 Colombian social activists were assassinated and killed, as stated by the United Nations. According to the government, this uptick in violence over the last several months stems from several right-wing militias advocating for their self-defense against communism. Other causes include organized crime, drug trafficking, and gangs that are seeking to benefit from the displacement of the FARC.
Source: The Economist
This new violence adds to an extremely delicate and fragile peace deal that was designed to end political violence across the country and bring the much-needed stability to the rural countryside and urban centers. With that, the new peace deals also calls for poor farms and indigenous people to now have the ability to freely exercise their political beliefs and participate in the voting process.
As rebels prepare over the next several weeks to discuss a final agreement that will be verified by the United Nations, the Colombian government must use the resources of their intelligence agencies to counteract the bloodshed and prevent splinter insurgent groups forming from the ashes of FARC.
Although highly controversial and tremendously fragile, the new peace deals over the last several months have instilled a hopeful and optimistic environment among the Colombian people to end the years of bloodshed and war. Now, with the calculated support of the Colombian government, there is a chance to do just that.