President Gustavo Petro met with local and regional leaders from Colombia’s Pacific region to discuss ending the wars between illegal armed groups that are terrorizing the region.
Petro traveled to Quibdo, the capital of the western Choco province, on Thursday to “pacify the Pacific” together with local and regional authorities in the war-torn west of the country.
The visit came a day after the president and Vice-President Francia Marquez met with mayors and governors from Cauca, Nariño and Valle del Cauca in Cali to combat violence in the Pacific region.
Anti-militaristic approach
In Choco, one of Colombia’s poorest and most violent provinces, Petro promoted policies that would “allow prosperity in the hands of the people of Choco themselves as opposed to the illegal economies that are dominating the department.”
The president specifically mentioned the possibility of reforming the regulation on mining in the province where illegal gold mining is a significant part the economy, but is also largely controlled by illegal armed groups like guerrilla group ELN and paramilitary organization AGC.
Petro indicated that his so-called “humane security” policy would seek to increase the presence of administrative State agencies, promote local peace processes and avoid military interventions.
At the same time, Petro stressed that he is seeking negotiations with the ELN and the AGC, which would allow their demobilization and disarmament.
Colombia’s government talks peace with ELN in Cuba
Decentralized peace initiatives
At the “Summit of Mayors from the Pacific” in Cali, the president and the vice-president said that they sought a more decentralized form of government that would allow local authorities to take a leading role in the resolution of violent conflict in their regions.
Petro distanced himself from the disastrous militaristic approach of former President Ivan Duque to combat drug trafficking, which has fueled violence in Cauca, Nariño and Valle del Cauca.
President Gustavo Petro
The president specifically mentioned a possible legalization of marijuana, which was applauded by he local leaders from the region.
According to Petro, any policy to legalize marijuana would have to benefits local producers rather than foreign investors.
President Gustavo Petro
The president additionally vowed to invest in housing, education and “food sovereignty” that would allow rural communities to increase their self sufficiency.
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Will Petro’s strategy work?
Whether Petro’s strategy proposals may sound nice, but can only be executed if Congress agrees to allocate more investment funds for the Pacific.
Also then, success isn’t guaranteed because of rampant corruption when it comes to local government’s spending funds from Bogota.
Perhaps most importantly, much of Petro’s peace policies depend on authorities’ ability to dismantle illegal armed groups that are held responsible for the majority of violence.
Petro’s peace commissioner reportedly began preliminary talks with the ELN in Cuba about the possible resumption of peace negotiations that were abandoned by former President Ivan Duque.
The AGC has also expressed interest in talks with the government, but has been ambiguous about its demands to effectively agree to the paramilitaries’ possible demobilization and disarmament.
Without the cooperation of these and other illegal armed groups, the intentions of Petro and local authorities may just as well lead to nothing.