FARC Disarmament Continues

Last Sunday, representatives of both the Colombian government and Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) met to begin discussing the next stages of the nation’s disarmament plan. After decades of incessant violence, the Colombian government and members of FARC have finally arrived at a groundbreaking agreement: the Special Jurisdiction of Peace. However, before this peace can occur, the officials must agree to a new amendment. In particular, the sides negotiated over public law 418 of public order and demobilization. Controversially, disagreement and debates abound regarding law 418, as it aims to completely reverse the reforms of 2010. The initial reforms of Minister of the Interior Germán Vargas Llera sought to remove presidential faculties in the establishment of regions of concentration, areas of clearance, and the lifting of arrest warrants. The current modifications threaten these political advancements.

In order to continue the decline of FARC’s guerrilla presence, the government seeks to increase presidential power and involvement in disarmament. Consequently, President Santos strives to initiate the necessary procedures in order to commence the process of disarmament and consolidation of FARC’s forces. In doing so, Santos hopes to establish a bilateral mechanism for the monitoring of the ceasefire in the form of public order law 418. Despite the debates, the sessions beginning today are largely a formal procedure. As a result, the necessary modifications to law 418 will serve as the impetus for the actualization of disarmament and the beginning of a new era — the post-conflict era. The outcome of the convened discussions will mark the true progression of FARC’s members into civility, effectively eliminating what has been Colombia’s largest internal threat for decades.