OP-ED: In Colombia, Is the Pen Mightier Than the Sword?

 

Guest article by Allison Lim*

Opinions on the ground vary as Colombian citizens get ready to vote YES or NO on the peace agreement between the government and FARC rebels.

As I walk through the streets of Bucaramanga, the capital of the Santander department in north-central Colombia, I can’t help but notice that most of the city is under construction. Yellow tape marked with the words “peligroso” block off major roads as both cars and pedestrians find alternate methods to get to their destinations. In the two months I’ve lived here, I’ve become accustomed to making changes to my every day route as new construction sites pop up and old ones are finished.

Colombia is rapidly changing and attracting international attention. Diego, a 23-year-old engineer I met at a coffee shop explains, “You can see from all the construction that Bucaramanga is developing. People are getting educated and the city has a lot of international investment because of the many universities here.” He points out that the international interest is important because it means that politicians, non-profits, and other organizations are paying attention to what goes on socially and politically in this country.

While Colombia’s reputation is still tainted by the likes of Pablo Escobar and the drug trade, locals are eager to dispel negative stereotypes. The first question I’m often asked is “Como te parece Colombia?” or in English, “How does Colombia seem to you?” Citizens always stop to take the time to share the positive aspects of their culture. “People think Colombia is very dangerous and full of drugs and narcotraffickers. But we are peaceful people,” Christian, a local high school student, insists.

History…En Vivo

On August 24, 2016, Colombia’s government and the Marxist rebel group known as the FARC (the Spanish acronym for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) reached a deal to end 52 years of civil war. Peace talks have been going on for four years.

Through casual conversations and informational interviews, I gathered various opinions as to what local Colombians are thinking about the Peace Treaty.

It’s hard to associate the friendly and laid-back city I live in with a country that has been in a civil war for half a century. But Diego reminds me how the conflict has shaped the social, political, and economic climate of Colombia: “People from rural areas had to move to cities because they were displaced from their lands. Farmers couldn’t stay because they would be in the crossfire of the army and guerilla. And the conflict gave the right wing political party an opportunity to seize control of the country.”

Most of the country has been affected by the kidnappings and murders of citizens by both the rebels and the military. Throughout the conflict, civilians made up 80% of the 220,000 lives lost and over five million people have been displaced. For years, the FARC terrorized the country by using kidnappings and ransoms to fund their insurgency.

Bucaramanga: A Telling Tale

Although Bucaramanga is one of the safest cities in Colombia, one does not have to go far to witness the lingering effects of war. Those who have been displaced by the conflict populate the north of the city. Locals constantly warn me not to go into this area. Calvin, an English teacher who works in the North tells me, “It looks quite run down and some of the houses look like they were hand-made. Nobody has glass windows. People say it’s very dangerous.”

The State Department calls the FARC a terrorist organization that “controls the majority of cocaine manufacturing and distribution within Colombia, and is responsible for much of the world’s cocaine supply.”

But in June, the Colombian government and the FARC agreed to a bilateral ceasefire, a significant step in ending the longest-running conflict in Latin America.

President Juan Manuel Santos announced in a nationally televised address, “Today begins the end of the suffering, the pain and the tragedy of war. Let’s open the door together to a new stage in our history.”

On September 23, 2016, the FARC rebels voted unanimously to approve the Peace Treaty. There will be a public vote on October 2^nd for Colombian citizens to accept or reject the agreement.

Peace Treaty: Colombia and Beyond…and Between?

The terms of the Peace Treaty are not without controversy. The agreement gives the FARC 10 unelected legislative seats for two legislative terms: a minimum of five seats in the 106-member Colombian Senate and five more in the 166-member lower chamber.

While giving legislative seats to members of a terrorist organization is extremely questionable, Leonardo, a student at the Industrial University of Santander, explains “People are afraid we’re going to end up like Venezuela or Cuba with socialist ideas running the country, but our Senate right now is full of corruption. With our current system, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. We need diversity in our political system and the FARC will allow for different perspectives.”

Part of the deal also stipulates that ex-combatants will receive a monthly government stipend for a two-year period after the accords. This stipend is nearly equal to Colombia’s minimum wage. Ex-combatants will also be eligible for a one-time cash payment of about $2,500 to start a business.

In addition, combatants can avoid prison sentences by confessing their involvement in war crimes. Serious crimes like murder and kidnapping will result in sentences of five to eight years of community service and restricted freedom. Other crimes such as drug trafficking will be forgiven.

Pathos, Ethos and Logos Collide

Opinions within the country are extremely divided. Matthew, an English teacher living in the southwest city of Ipiales, explained that the majority of attendees at a local town hall meeting were unhappy with the Peace Treaty. He tells me, “Here they were at the forefront of the conflict. Many of the little towns around here are still red zones. The people are concerned that the FARC could use the agreement to consolidate their drug trafficking enterprise and other smuggling. They are also really upset with the idea that the FARC would get a stipend and avoid jail.”

I ask if the attendees offered alternate solutions to the Peace Treaty, and Matthew responds, “Their solution was to redraw the agreement. They feel conflict is better.”

When I brought these points up with Diego, he stated, “The people who want to vote NO to the Peace Treaty believe that the FARC combatants are criminals and should be punished.” But he disagrees with this and argues “I think it’s the best option available for us now. Enough blood has been shed.”

Leonardo elaborates, “It’s really interesting that there are people in favor of the NO vote. That shows us how full of anger and revenge people are. But we need to forgive.” He also points out how the agreement will impact the future of the country — “I think the Peace Treaty will help us realize that the biggest problem in this country is corruption because even after the conflict is over, we’re still going to have problems with unemployment, healthcare, and education.”

Who Watches the Watchers?

The State Department has expressed support for a peace deal, with John Kerry announcing “the United States will work closely with Colombia to ensure that commitments made during the negotiations yield tangible benefits for the country’s citizens.”

The Peace Treaty is a clear step towards reshaping the internal conflicts of the country. Diego ends our conversation by pointing out, “We’re taking a chance. It could fail, but we won’t know if we don’t at least try.”

Similarly, Leonardo comments, “We’re not the same country we were 15 years ago. This is a big step for us.”

For the most part, Colombians and the international community are breathing a sigh of relief as one of the world’s longest conflicts comes to a close. For the many Colombians who have lived their entire lives in a civil war, the thought of peace offers a glimmer of hope for a new age where conflicts are resolved with words instead of weapons.

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Allison Lim is a graduate of the University of California – Irvine where she majored in Political Science and Sociology. She is currently living in Bucaramanga, Colombia and can be reached at [email protected].