Let’s Shake Hands Once Again

Feb 15 / 2021

In the early days of February, Colombia witnessed an exchange of letters that is no less than a cry to save the country’s peace. The unprecedented aspect of this correspondence is that it has been carried on by the two people responsible for opening the door to the negotiations, and following the path during the four years necessary to reach the signing of the Agreement: Rodrigo Londoño of the FARC – now the ‘Comunes’ party – and former-President Juan Manuel Santos.

Mr. Londoño asked if his interlocutor remembered when they shook hands at the end of the process. Given the affirmative answer from the former head of State, we dare to add our voice: we remember too! We remember not only the tensions, but also the hope for a new chapter; that arms would no longer be the mediator of political and social conflicts; and the chance to heal the wounds opened after decades of conflict.

We, three networks from Colombian and international civil society, are deeply moved by the sincere and respectful words of these two former enemies. With their letters, they have again led by example. They show once more that difficulties do not prevent dialogue, but rather justify it.

The setbacks to peacebuilding in the framework of the Agreement are widely known and in any case mentioned in the published correspondence. However, from the complementary perspectives we enjoy, we affirm that Colombia’s peace process has been and continues to be a source of pride and a milestone for future negotiations, despite the delays and setbacks in its implementation. With these words, we wish to echo the proposals developed by the two peace signatories.

Specifically, we request:

That former-President Santos and Rodrigo Londoño finalise the composition of their delegations for a potential audience at the Palacio de Nariño.
A more generous response from the government than we have seen up to now. May President Duque open the doors to such a meeting, extending his hand to them as well, and that his government assume a spirit of political will towards the agreements signed by the State.

Finally, let us not lose sight of our role as civil society. This exchange of letters reminds us of the need to embrace the dialogue. Let us urge the full implementation of the 2016 Agreement and again grasp the hands of those who laid down their weapons, all the while continuing to search for new hands to shake.

#Let’sShakeHandsOnceAgain