Colombians March for Peace Amidst Uncertainty

Following the narrow defeat of a peace agreement between the Colombian government and FARC militant group in a national referendum on October 2, thousands of Colombians have gathered in public marches to promote continued efforts for peace. Many Colombians fear that the deal’s rejection will lead to a collapse of negotiations with the FARC, prolonging a 50-year-old civil war. Colombia’s rural peripheries, historically the regions affected most by the conflict, mostly voted “Yes” in the referendum, while those in central areas, less directly affected by the violence, tended to vote “No.” In response, by October 12, large parts of Bogotá were shut down by protesters from rural areas. The peace marches included 5,000 indigenous people representing a variety of different groups, many of whom had to travel for days to reach the capital. Their march reiterated the fact that Colombia’s indigenous population was unrepresented until the very end of the four-year peace negotiations between the government and the FARC.

Current Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the conflict, has extended a ceasefire with the FARC until the end of 2016. Although this move has lessened fears of an immediate return to violence in October, crafting an agreement more favorable to the Colombian people will be difficult. Before the plebiscite, Santos had announced his confidence in popular support for the agreement by stating there is no “plan B” in case of failure. Timochenko, the FARC leader, has indicated his reluctance to modify controversial aspects of the deal, particularly the provision involving reduced punishments for militants who confess to crimes.

Leaders of the FARC remain in Havana, Cuba, where the peace deal was finalized in late August. Meanwhile, many FARC militants had begun to gather at UN-monitored “normalization zones,” where disarmament was to take place, in anticipation of a “Yes” vote in the referendum.

Despite the uncertainty of future negotiations, both sides remain confident in reaching peace. In an October 10 interview, Timochenko announced, “We will have good news soon.”