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FARC settlement? Colombians must be pragmatic
After almost half a century of the FARC conflict, Colombians want peace. Unrealistically however, most of them want it dictated entirely on their terms. The Gallup Poll for the end of October signalled serious paradoxes in the nation’s hopes for the potential peace process with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Despite 72% being ...
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Captive’s Release Highlights Need for Foreign Leadership over Colombian Peace Process
After 33 days in captivity, on Wednesday the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC) finally freed French journalist Romeo Langlois. Langlois was taken hostage in late April when the army patrol he was traveling with, in an effort to cover the armed conflict, was attacked by the FARC in Southern ...
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While Cooperation Between Colombia and Venezuela May Increase, Ideologies Remain Distant
Following an ambush in which 12 Colombian soldiers were killed on Monday, President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela significantly reinforced security along the Venezuelan border. The ambush was carried out by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in a remote region of Colombia called La Guajira, which borders Northwest Venezuela. Colombian officials maintained that the ...
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Hostage Release Highlights Growing Optimism for Progress in Solving the FARC
After seemingly endless years of negotiation and tension, peace between Colombia and the nation’s largest guerrilla group, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – FARC) may finally be a distinct possibility. On Monday, the FARC released from captivity and handed over to Colombian officials the group’s last remaining 10 political ...
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A renewed negotiation: Will Santos seize the moment?
Signaling an unprecedented change in course and strategy, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—FARC) announced this week that it would no longer use kidnappings as a tool to achieve its revolutionary objectives against the Colombian government. Kidnappings have long served as an important financial, and intimidation, source for the insurgent ...
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Petro and Cano Offer Two Distinct Paths for One Colombia
On October 30, 2011, Bogotá elected Gustavo Petro as its next mayor. After earning a plurality of thirty-two percent of the vote in a highly contested election, Petro—a former member of the M19 guerilla movement—made history. During that same week, the Colombian government arguably achieved its greatest victory against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of ...