Four Truth Encounters (Encuentros por la Verdad) were held in 2019, to officially recognise the wrongdoings suffered by victims. The first, in Cartagena, recognised the impact of sexual violence against women and LGBTI people; in Pasto, the resilience of women and the relatives of missing people was recognised; in Medellín, the focus was on people who experienced the conflict as children; and finally, in Cundinamarca, recognition focused on of the impacts of armed conflict on rural farmers.

One of the most important achievements of the Colombian TC to date is the participation of perpetrators from all sides of the armed conflict, and their acknowledgement of responsibility.

Colombia’s TC has set in motion a national dialogue about what happened in the armed conflict. There have been seven Dialogues for Non-Repetition (Diálogos por la No-repetición), with participation from state institutions, victims, social leaders, the international community, media, civil society organizations and business, among others. These dialogues are also a valuable instance of marginalised and persecuted groups being listened to and taken seriously by both the TC and the State.

The TC has a fundamental goal of promoting reconciliation in Colombia. In partnership with ABC Paz, the TC facilitated a Working Table: “Narratives of Ex-combatants”, in which former members of the National Liberation Army (ELN); April 19 Movement (M19); Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP) and the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), among others, met several times and signed a statement with various commitments to peace, including a complete rejection of violence and the possibility of returning to war.

This is a remarkable  achievement demonstrating that through dialogue, even enemies are able to overcome differences.