President-elect Gustavo Petro will seek talks with illegal armed groups and a revised extradition treaty with the United States to achieve “total peace” in Colombia.
Petro’s “Total Peace” policy would try to end a resurgence of violence that followed a 2016 peace deal between former President and guerrilla group FARC.
Promoting “Total Peace”
President-elect Gustavo Petro, UN Mission chief Carlos Ruiz (C) and future former Minister Alvaro Leyva (Image: UN)
The president-elect and his progressive “Historic Pact” party have begun promoting Petro’s ambitious peace policy that is likely to generate controversy in Colombia and the US.
United Nations mission chief Carlos Ruiz expressed his “support to Colombia to work for the consolidation of peace” on Monday after his first meeting with the president-elect.
Vice-President-elect Francia Marquez told media that she is setting up a meeting with Kamala Harris, her future counterpart in Washington DC.
Meanwhile, the Historic Pact has been lobbying in Congress and the media in order to win support for Petro’s peace proposals.
The incoming government’s peace offensive coincides with an escalation of violence that has affected almost 3 million people so far this year, according to the UN’s humanitarian agency.
According to the Historic Pact, Petro’s peace policy seeks to “completely end the armed conflict and prevent a new cycle of violence” through the implementation of five strategies.
Colombia subjected to worst levels of violence in decades
Reviving Santos’ peace process
Senator Ivan Cepeda (Image: Senate)
The primary strategy would be the resumption of the peace policy of former President Juan Manuel Santos that was suspended by outgoing President Ivan Duque.
This means the full implementation of the 2016 peace deal with the FARC, particularly the rural, political and counternarcotics reforms that were suspended by Duque.
While on campaign, Petro had already said that his government would also resume suspended talks with ELN guerrillas and paramilitary organization AGC, the country’s largest illegal armed groups.
In an interview with weekly Cambio, the president-elect said he asked the Catholic Church “to establish channels for an integral peace process” with all groups generating violence.
I believe that the Catholic Church today must play a fundamental role in the construction of peace in Colombia.
President-elect Gustavo Petro
Under conditions, Colombia’s largest paramilitary group seeks surrender
Negotiations with FARC dissidents
FARC dissident “Ivan Marquez” (Image: Twitter)
The Historic Pact additionally proposed talk with former FARC guerrillas who rearmed “because of the non-implementation of the deal” after 2016.
These guerrillas were expelled from the ongoing peace process because they stopped complying with the peace deal they originally agreed with.
I believe that it could be beneficial for the dissidents that arose due to the non-implementation of the Agreement to reincorporate themselves into the peace agreement and thus deactivate the FARC dissidents.
Senator Ivan Cepeda
This group of FARC dissidents would include the guerrillas’ former political chief “Ivan Marquez” and exclude guerrillas of what it called the “Southeastern Bloc,” which rejected the peace process before it began.
In order to convince rearmed FARC guerrillas and members of the AGC, Congress would have to approve pending legislation that allows the collective demobilization of illegal armed groups.
Demobilization of Colombia’s largest paramilitary group on hold: report
Reforming the security forces
(Image: National Army)
Petro also wants to reform the security forces, which led to tensions when Santos tried something similar between 2011 and 2016.
In an apparent attempt to reduce resistance within the military and the National Police, the president-elect vowed to improve their living conditions and career opportunities.
Petro’s reform proposals
- Separate the police and the military
Petro wants to separate the police and the military that both fall under the responsibility of the Defense Ministry in violation of international law. - Abandon Cold War military doctrine
The President-elect wants the military to abandon its Cold War military doctrine, which has been one of the main causes of human rights violations committed by the security forces. The “Damasco Doctrine” that was developed between 2011 and 2016 sought to achieve exactly that, but was abandoned by the military in 2020. - Dismantle riot police unit
Petro wants to dismantle controversial riot police unit ESMAD, which has been accused of consistently abusing its power to quell often peaceful anti-government protests. - Improve cops and soldiers’ living conditions and career opportunities
Petro wants to improve the living conditions of rank and file policemen and soldiers, and give them access to education that would allow them to be promoted to commanders.
Colombia abandons Cold War military doctrine, gets ready for 21st century
Renewed extradition treaty with US
Former AGC commander “Otoniel” before his extradition to the United States (Image: National Police)
Petro will be seeking an agreement with the government of the United States to formulate an extradition treaty that would condition the extradition of alleged drug trafficking suspects to the United States.
The current treaty is under fire because of its failure to effectively dismantle drug trafficking organizations and because of the extradition of war criminals on sometimes questionable drug trafficking charges deprives their victims of justice.
The president-elect told Cambio that he wants to negotiate a new treaty that would help facilitate the “peaceful dismantling of drug trafficking” in Colombia.
Colombia’s war victims clash with US government over extradition
Great National Agreement
The peace deal signed by former President Juan Manuel Santos and the FARC. (Image: President’s Office)
Last but not least, Petro wants to promote a “Great National Agreement,” which seeks to directly involve political parties, regional authorities, community leaders and minority organizations in resolving conflicts in the event they occur.
This proposal specifically seeks a decentralized approach to the resolution of conflicts with a regional character.
The “Great National Agreement” would seek a “culture of peace” through social events that promote peace and non-violent conflict resolution.
Whether Petro will have more success than his predecessors in achieving “Absolute Peace” or even reduce violence in Colombia won’t be known until 2026 when the term of the president-elect ends.
