This Snapshot brings together the challenges of political reincorporation related to the FARC party, taking into account the creation of new groups that seek to represent the interest of some former members of the FARC-EP guerrilla group.
Access to education for ex-guerrillas and their families, who are in the process of reincorporation, is key for the promotion of social justice and equality in Colombia. This snapshot explores the progress and challenges of education in some of the areas of reincorporation where former members of the FARC guerrilla have decided to rebuild their lives with their families.
The Unión Patriótica (UP) political party was born out of the ceasefire, peace, and truce agreements signed between the government and FARC-EP in 1984. The UP emerged as a political movement with legal guarantees for the insurgency to participate in political scenarios through elected offices. Support for the party grew, especially in remote regions of the country, leading to the election of 19 departmental deputies, 286 local council members, and several representatives in Congress. Following this success, paramilitary groups, state agents, and some political factions carried out an offensive against UP leaders and militants amounting to political genocide of the party. In 2014, the Office of the Prosecutor-General of Colombia declared some of the crimes against members of the UP as crimes against humanity.
Two and a half years after the reincorporation of former FARC-EP members started in the Territorial Spaces of Territorial and Reincorporation (TSTRs), there are worrying signs that require the implementation of stronger security measures.
The 2016 Final Peace Agreement set in motion the laying down of arms by the FARC-EP and the political, social and economic processes of reincorporation. As set out in Chapter 3 of the agreement, these processes seek to close the chapter of conflict and allow the FARC-EP to actively contribute, along with all Colombians, to co-existence and the non-recurrence of violence. After three years, this snapshot looks to what 2020 might bring for reincorporation in Colombia.
Embrace Dialogue participated and organised a public dialogue at the University College London, to spread the word about the work of the CTC. Learn more about innovations and challenges.
Welcome to the first of a series of monthly blogs about Colombia’s Truth Commission.
These are intended to provide snapshots of ongoing innovations as the Truth Commission works to lay the foundations for a transformative and long-lasting peace.
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