The Colombian Election: A Plight For Peace

It seemed as if stability was on the horizon when the war was finally over, but currently as the elections approach it seems as if Colombia’s fragile peace is under threat.

In 2016, the Colombian President Santos victoriously claimed that the war in Colombia was over, as the State and the Fuerzaz Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (More commonly known as FARC) agreed to a historic peace treaty that would change the future of Colombia. With a war that expanded just over fifty years, peace was painful to obtain, with a cost of around 220,000 deaths and 5-7 million displaced. These negotiations took years and emphasized how sensitive the topic of peace in Colombia is. Essentially, the upcoming elections will put this hard-earned peace to the ultimate test.

The Colombian peace process triumphantly brought peace upon the Latin American nation. However, Colombia rejected this peace deal in a narrow referendum. Essentially, the agreement was to give impunity to a terrorist group, which has now transformed into a political actor.

According to the Transparency Index, Colombia is ranked 96th in the world for corruption. The Colombian Government still has a long way to end corruption in the nation. Corruption limits the peace within Colombia and the election is stepping towards uncertainty, rather than desired stability. The elections will define peace and stability within the state. With a majority of the population only familiar to a nation at civil war, this election marks great importance to Colombian citizens.

Concurrently, negotiations between Colombia and Ejercito Nacional de Liberacion (ELN) highlight a step towards lasting peace and stability. President Santos is working towards an agreement that would somewhat mimic the one he signed with FARC. Unfortunately, the uncertainty surrounding the FARC-Colombian Peace Agreement has knocked ELN’s confidence in the present negotiations in Ecuador. The leader of ELN, Nicolas Rodriguez Bautista, has however stated that the group does not reject peace. Unquestionably, the progress of these talks is of great importance in the upcoming elections.

The policies of Santos essentially boil down to inclusion and abolishing inequality, while former President Uribe’s policies were fixated on fighting, as he opposed a peace deal with FARC. The two vowed to work towards peace together, but it seems that their clashing mentalities have been disappointing to Colombian citizens.

What is certain, Colombia and FARC have not gone to war again with the ceasefire still intact, which is a necessary action for victims of the conflict. Earlier this month, FARC announced that their political party would boycott the election due to safety concerns. It was unlikely that FARC would have success with their past and poor re-branding that lead them to fail in the election.

According to recent polls, Sergio Fajardo is in the lead as the favourite to win. Fajardo’s campaign is built mostly on transforming the economy of Colombia. Building towards economic stability would potentially play a big role in Colombia’s peace process, but with neither party holding a majority in the polls, the country remains uncertain of its future.

President Santos’ term expires in August and his past efforts to negotiate peace between the parties has seen him earn the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. Moving forward, Colombia will need a leader that can accelerate the peace process, deliver justice, and build economic stability to the nation to maintain order and create opportunities for its citizens. With peace having been denied for years, and advances that could potentially be crushed, Colombia is in a very delicate state.

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