Colombia is a country that has been racked by conflict for around 60 years - multiple armed groups and organized crime have waged war against each other and the state.

In 2016, after nearly seven years of negotiations, the FARC demobilized, creating a power vacuum that other groups, such as the National Liberation Army (ELN), Clan del Golfo, and FARC dissidents, quickly filled. Despite the FARC's exit, violence persisted, with cocaine production and illegal mining continuing unabated, leaving many communities under the control of criminal organizations.

In 2022, the President of Colombia Gustavo Petro brought forward new legislation, known as 'Total Peace'. This ambitious and wide ranging policy looks to negotiate with all criminal groups, whether they are politically minded, like the FARC were or organized crime. Why? To help reduce violence, in particularly homicides, but also to try a new approach to end these long-running conflicts.

One of the key players in these negotiations was the ELN, the oldest guerrilla group in the world. The Petro administration expressed optimism, claiming a peace agreement could be reached within three months of taking office. However, over two years later, those talks have stalled and ultimately collapsed, raising questions about the future of peace efforts in Colombia.

Speaker(s):

Juanita Durán-Vélez, Lawyer, Crime and Justice Lab, Colombia.

Kyle Johnson, Researcher & Academic Director of the Conflict Responses Foundation, Bogotá, Colombia

Felipe Botero Escobar, Head of Andean Regional Office, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Links:

Andean Regional Office, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Podcast & Article - Clan del Golfo: The fall of 'Otoniel': How Colombia's biggest drug lord was taken down.

The base research (Negotiating with Criminal Groups: Colombia´s Total Peace Policy) for this episode was initially developed and supported by Serious Organized Crime and Anticorruption Evidence research program.

Additional Links:

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/colombia-recognizes-dissident-eln-faction-independent-organization-2024-05-08/

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/colombias-illegal-armed-groups-grew-2023-secret-security-report-2024-05-07/

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/colombia-peace/

https://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-colombia-farc-killings-20180605-story.html

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1265909/former-farc-members-killed-colombia/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcT51WTFlUM

https://www.abcolombia.org.uk/eln-peace-talks-timeline/

https://www.elcolombiano.com/colombia/guerra-entre-el-eln-y-las-disidencias-de-las-farc-en-arauca-MD16408859

https://english.elpais.com/international/2022-06-11/in-colombias-saravena-theres-no-theft-just-murder.html

https://insightcrime.org/news/insight-crime-2022-homicide-round-up/

https://insightcrime.org/news/is-the-ex-farc-mafia-betting-all-its-chips-on-the-colombian-venezuelan-border/

https://insightcrime.org/investigations/inviting-war-into-venezuela/

https://collections.unu.edu/eserv/UNU:8960/FARCdissidentColombia_FINAL.pdf

https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-59863553

https://www.elespectador.com/judicial/el-contratista-del-eln-article-838805/

https://insightcrime.org/news/eln-receiving-payments-companies-colombia/

https://newsradio.com.co/2019/02/investigan-si-el-eln-se-financio-con-recursos-publicos-del-departamento-de-arauca/

https://www.pulzo.com/nacion/financiacion-eln-arauca-PP640382

https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/judicial/el-contratista-del-eln-articulo-838805

https://www.eltiempo.com/justicia/delitos/facundo-castillo-detalles-del-caso-por-el-que-fue-capturado-por-fiscalia-626787

https://colombiareports.com/colombia-arrests-governor-on-corruption-terrorism-support-charges/

https://www.cgfm.mil.co/en/multimedia/noticias/army-and-prosecutors-office-carried-out-confiscation-right-domain-assets-ex

https://www.infobae.com/en/2022/04/21/they-impose-an-insurance-measure-on-the-former-governor-of-arauca-due-to-irregularities-with-the-pae/

https://www.eltiempo.com/unidad-investigativa/luis-diaz-un-vendedor-de-divisas-de-maicao-detras-del-secuestro-del-padre-del-jugador-825082

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/colombia-eln-guerrillas-free-kidnapped-father-liverpool-soccer-star-diaz-source-2023-11-09/

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/least-40-colombias-eln-rebels-seen-rejecting-peace-deal-security-sources-2023-09-22/

https://www.eltiempo.com/justicia/conflicto-y-narcotrafico/entrevista-a-pablo-beltran-del-eln-desde-cuba-sobre-regreso-a-colombia-317422

https://www.financecolombia.com/insight-crime-report-eln-has-beaten-ivan-duque-now-colombias-largest-criminal-threat/

https://verdadabierta.com/se-reanuda-formalmente-la-guerra-contra-el-eln/

https://x.com/JuanManSantos/status/1167053956255748097

https://colombiareports.com/police-identify-and-hunt-guerrilla-responsible-for-pablitos-escape/

https://colombiareports.com/arauca-prison-director-suspected-of-assisting-eln-leaders-escape/

https://colombiareports.com/eln-guerrilla-escapes-from-jail/

https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/CMS-6307429

https://www.fides.org/en/news/72782-AMERICA_COLOMBIA_The_testimony_of_Monsignor_Jaramillo_prophet_and_martyr_of_peace_is_always_alive_and_current

https://colombiareports.com/pablito-eln/

https://insightcrime.org/colombia-organized-crime-news/eln-profile/

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/worlds-oldest-guerrilla-force-revives-war-on-oil/

https://web.archive.org/web/20090302075901/http:/www.cyemh.org/resource/camilo.htm

https://www.britannica.com/topic/liberation-theology

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU30QVJl8ac

https://thecitypaperbogota.com/news/petro-on-arauca-bombing-eln-practically-closes-peace-process-with-blood/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37W-nrGMB5U&t=18s

https://i0.wp.com/efe.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/rss-efe3d9924349b8c7efe16223eebbb9025ada2404bf0w.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/colombias-petro-says-eln-attack-practically-ends-peace-talks-2024-09-18/

https://llanera.com/dos-soldados-asesinados-por-el-eln-en-tame-arauca/26595

https://www.laopinion.co/sucesos/atacaron-unidad-militar-en-tame-arauca-reportan-dos-soldados-asesinados

https://insightcrime.org/news/eln-attack-destroys-chances-peace-strengthening-guerrilla-group/

https://x.com/OscuraColombia/status/1828154886862610855

https://maps.app.goo.gl/rUBZJfYcLSFYNGr47

https://thecitypaperbogota.com/news/colombian-army-confirms-eln-behind-oil-pipeline-attack-in-arauca/

https://www.elcolombiano.com/colombia/crisis-combustible-ataque-oleoducto-cano-limon-covenas-en-arauca-DN25286995

Disclaimer: SOC ACE is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policy.