Roundup: Peace achieved in Colombia after half a century of violence

It has cost the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) 52 years to reach a permanent peace deal, offering the opportunity for new generations to grow up free of the threat of violence.

Past Colombian governments tried to ink the deal without success, but President Juan Manuel Santos will be remembered for leading the efforts to get the group to permanently lay down their arms and enter politics.

One such failed attempt came in 1984, under then President Belisario Betancur. At the time, the FARC, along with other similar groups, were legitimized as political actors and the Patriotic Union (UP) political party was founded.

The UP entered politics at all levels and gained victories in the 1986 elections, winning 350 local council seats, 23 regional deputies, nine seats in the lower house and six in the Senate.

However, disagreements soon arose with the government concerning demobilization and right-wing paramilitaries began targeting UP members. In a few years, up to 3,000 UP members were killed, including two presidential candidates and eight Congress members.

Violence resumed until 1998 when then President Andres Pastrana agreed to dedicate 42,000 square km of land to the FARC while dialogues were planned. These never happened due to poor planning and a lack of will from the guerrillas.

In 1999, FARC members killed three American indigenous rights activists, leading Washington to pressure Pastrana to crack down on the group.

During his successful election campaign of 2010, Santos promised to continue the security strategy of his predecessor, Alvaro Uribe, under whose administration he was defense minister.

However, shortly after his victory, Santos changed his course and decided to offer official peace talks to the FARC, which drew condemnation from Uribe, who continues to lead the opposition to the peace deal.

But despite losing the support of some of his voters, Santos' actions found broad support from many Colombians, weary of long-lasting war.

The first talks were held in October 2012, with Norway and Cuba acting as guarantors of the peace process.

Despite difficult moments when civilians, members of the army and police, and guerrilla fighters continued to be killed or hurt, the dialogue in Havana turned out to be a success.

The role of Norway and Cuba, as guarantors, and Venezuela and Chile, as accompanying countries, must be highlighted.

At various moments when the talks seemed to be stagnating due to rising tensions and acts of violence, these countries remained firm advocates for alleviating the tensions.

In August 2015, the peace process accelerated when the FARC extended a unilateral ceasefire first declared in December 2014. Then, in November of that year, Santos pardoned 30 jailed FARC guerrillas as a confidence-building measure.

The international community also reacted with the United Nations (UN) voting unanimously to create a Special Monitoring Mission to verify the ceasefire and the end of hostilities.

On Aug. 23, Colombia's Resource Center for Conflict Analysis announced that the previous 14 months had seen the lowest level of violence in the country in 52 years.

The country now eagerly awaits the Oct. 2 plebiscite in which the Colombian people will vote on whether they accept or reject the peace deal.

While the Yes camp has a clear lead in recent polling, the stakes are high.

If the No camp led by former President Uribe wins, the negotiations that inched forward for the last four years could be jeopardized.

Even if the vote passes, peace is not guaranteed. Talks have begun with the National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia's largest remaining guerrilla group, but an agreement is not believed to be close.

Furthermore, a report by InSight Crime, a foundation dedicated to studying organized crime in Latin America, published in August stated that the ELN might receive an influx of soldiers from the FARC, who "opt to remain in the revolutionary struggle."

Source : XINHUA