The signing of the Peace Agreement, on November 24, 2016, marked a before and after on the path towards the end of the conflict in the country. However, the search for a definitive peace remains a challenge due to the persistence of violence.
Recently, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) reported that since the signing of the Agreement, more than 1.5 million people have been forced to move as a result of the escalation of the conflict.
The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, stated during the ceremony commemoration of the signing of peaceheld on November 21, that the implementation of the agreement is “half-fulfilled.”
Experts consulted by the Voice of America They affirm that, in these eight years of implementation, the agreement faces difficulties due to the lack of security guarantees for ex-combatants and social leaders, which continues to be an outstanding debt.
“The spirit of the agreement has been extremely damaged in these eight years since 430 peace signatories have been murdered, because if they murder a significant portion who signed the agreement it means that the State is not capable of protecting the lives of those who come to it to make peace,” Laura Bonilla, deputy director of the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation (Pares), explained to VOA.
The creation of Territorial Training and Reintegration Spaces (ETCR) has been key to accompanying the transition of ex-combatants to civilian life. These spaces have promoted productive projects that benefit both the peace signatories and the nearby communities.
In this sense, the rural development measures included in the Agreement have promoted some projects in areas affected by violence, but their scope remains limited. The Comprehensive Rural Reform, which is part of point 1 of the Agreement, presents important delays.
According to figures from the Colombian Comptroller’s Office, the “Comprehensive Rural Reform does not present structural changes in the regions and rural areas of the country, due to disjointed execution.”
“The rural reform points are in low implementation. This seriously affects the spirit of the Agreement because the commitments are not achieved,” said Bonilla.
The Illicit Crop Substitution Program has benefited thousands of farmers, but faces important challenges. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), coca leaf hectares increased by 10% year-on-year in 2023, and potential cocaine production increased by 53%.
“To replace crops, you need a good product that can be substituted and is complementary and that generates the same economy that coca generates and that has not existed,” Bonilla revealed.
Security guarantees for ex-combatants are also a critical issue. Since 2016, more than 432 ex-combatants have been killed, reflecting a serious security problem for those who laid down their weapons.
“One of the big flaws of the Agreement is the security issue. This is due, in part, to the fragmentation of armed actors, such as the FARC dissidents, the ELN and the Gulf Clan. This leaves an insufficient balance in these eight years,” he commented to the VOAEduardo Bechara Gómez, research professor at the Externado University of Colombia.
Furthermore, although the Government has prioritized compensation for victims, progress is insufficient. According to official figures, only 17% of the victims have been repaired. At this rate, it would take more than five decades to complete the full repair.
For its part, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), the special court that emerged after the Agreement, has 11 macro cases open with which it seeks to investigate and clarify the most serious facts of the Colombian armed conflict.
“The most notable thing about the agreement is the commitment of the victims and the signatories who, despite the conditions of implementation, remain firmly committed to peace and transforming their territories,” Bechara highlighted.
Faced with these challenges, President Gustavo Petro has proposed extending the implementation of the Agreement until 2038, considering the current deadlines insufficient.
The extension seeks to guarantee compliance with pending commitments and strengthen its total peace policy, which includes negotiations with other armed actors such as the ELN and the FARC dissidents, which have been marked by different obstacles.
“We are very far behind. According to the Kroc Institute, we have complied with only 30% of the Agreement, mainly in regulatory matters. This reflects limited progress in its implementation,” stated Bonilla.
In that sense, he added that there is a “very high need to extend the implementation stage of the agreement.”
“If it is not that option of extending its implementation until 2028, it is a peace agreement that has been broken and a broken agreement is a revived and escalated conflict,” Bonilla concluded.
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