Colombia
Colombia exhibits mid-range performance across all categories of the Global State of Democracy framework, with relatively stronger performance in Representation. It also performs in the high range with regard to Local Democracy, Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Movement. Over the last five years, it has experienced significant advances in Credible Elections; there have been no notable declines. Colombia is one of the oldest democracies in the continent and has held periodic multiparty elections since 1958, after transition from a brief period of military government. Colombia is an upper middle-income country, and its main exports include crude petroleum, coal, coffee and gold.
Beginning in 1964 and over five decades, the country was embroiled in a low intensity civil war between the government and different guerrilla and paramilitary groups, including the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN), amongst others. The war reflected public frustration with the profound inequality between a small elite and an impoverished majority, who had few formal mechanisms for political participation. Indeed, these guerrilla groups had been excluded from the power sharing agreement between Liberals and Conservatives in the 1960s. In 2016, a Peace Accord was signed and 13,000 FARC combatants surrendered their arms, ended the fighting with the government and, for the first time, occupied seats in Congress. The war claimed as many as 220,000 lives and displaced over 5 million.
Colombia’s initial bipartisan arrangement (Frente Nacional) has evolved into to a multiparty system. While nationally competitive elections are now the norm, recent years have been marked by increased polarization. Furthermore, some of the problems that led to the conflict, such as poverty and inequality remain today. Economic growth and social policies have not significantly reduced inequality, as barriers to opportunities persist for rural, indigenous, and Afro-Colombian populations, who continue to struggle with forced displacement and landlessness. In addition, indigenous reserves, which make up almost a third of the national territory, have been sites of property conflicts and land grabbing related to mining and other extractive activities. Moreover, the ELN - present in 16 per cent of Colombia’s municipalities - and dissident FARC groups still operate in the country. In addition, killings, kidnappings, curfews and attacks against police, army and civilians, as well as forced displacement continue.
Although Colombia has made progress on gender equality during the last two decades, its full realization remains a challenge, and gender gaps persist, notably in the economic and political spheres. Furthermore, violence against women and femicides are particularly alarming, with indigenous and Afro-Colombian women being disproportionately impacted. Looking ahead, it will be important to watch how the government addresses the remaining armed groups, especially given the current president’s (a former rebel himself) ‘Total Peace’ initiative. Also to be watched are the unresolved social and economic causes of the conflict. These structural problems have resulted in citizen discontent, expressed through massive street protests in 2019 and 2021. It will thus be important to monitor how rising polarization impacts political participation and prospects of ‘total’ peace.
Monthly Event Reports
February 2024 | Ceasefire with the ELN is extended for six months
On 6 February, the Colombian Government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) agreed to extend the bilateral ceasefire that has been in place for six more months. Both parties also announced the establishment of a fund to help finance the peace process, to be supported by multiple donors. Negotiations with the ELN are part of President Petro’s total peace plan, and the agreement comes after recent negotiations in which the ELN had committed to end kidnappings as a means to obtain financing, but had expressed the need to find ways to provide resources to its members.
November 2023 | Constitutional Court rules on Petro’s “total peace” strategy
President Petro’s strategy of “total peace” (“paz total”), which seeks the disarmament of rebels and other criminal groups, was considered by the Constitutional Court. The legal framework adopted by Congress in 2022 to establish the conditions by which authorities may engage in negotiations with such groups, including through the suspension of arrest warrants, the release of detained persons, and other judicial privileges, had been challenged by opposition politicians. On 30 November, the Court determined that the aim of the law was not contrary to the constitution, however, it restricted the ability of the Executive Branch to carry out actions that are normally the competence of a judge, such as the suspension of arrest warrants. It reasoned that some of the law’s provisions granted the Executive excessive prerogatives and that the release of convicted persons (in order to be designated as peace envoys) was unconstitutional. It also determined that the conditions for the surrender of non-political criminal groups had to be defined by Congress, and not by the government.
December 2023 | New rounds of peace talks take place
A fifth round of peace talks between the government and the ELN (National Liberation Army) took place in December. Negotiations with ELN are part of President Petro’s peace plans, which also include negotiations with dissident groups of the now extinct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), paramilitary and criminal groups. At the end of negotiations, the ELN agreed to suspend civilian kidnappings as a means to obtain financing. A high-profile kidnapping in December, which took place during a six-month cease-fire, had put pressure on both sides to engage in a new round of negotiations. During this last round of peace talks the participation of civil society in the peace process, and the establishment of conditions to ensure an extension of the ceasefire were also agreed, as was the commitment of both sides to the peace process. In early December, before discussion with ELN took place, the largest dissident group of the former FARC, the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), announced it would cease the practice of kidnappings for economic purposes, in the context of its own negotiations with the government.
October 2023 | 32 governors and over 1,000 mayors are elected in regional elections, during an election day with acts of violence
On 29 October, regional elections were held in Colombia. 32 governors and over 1,000 mayors were among the over 20,000 public offices that were elected. President Gustavo Petro’s party faced a blow as its candidates for pivotal posts were defeated. Acts of violence took place during election day, including riots and acts of arson in public buildings in some localities, one of which resulted in the death of a civil servant. The Organization of American States expressed its concern over the acts of violence during the election day and throughout the post-electoral process, calling for all disagreements and claims to be considered by the relevant authorities. According to international observers, compared to the 2019 elections, violence has increased in 75 per cent.
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