Colombia's Peace Process at the Crossroads

"In 2016 the Colombian government and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) concluded a historic peace agreement that ended the half-century long war between the government and the FARC. Colombia’s president Juan Manuel Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize that year. The implementation of the peace accords has, however, been a rocky affair especially after Ivan Duque, an opponent of the peace process, won the presidency in 2018. Conflict continues today with numerous FARC dissident organizations operating around Colombia and other armed organizations, including the ELN and EPL guerrilla groups, expanding their presence in formerly FARC controlled areas. Indeed, homicide rates have increased nationally since 2017 as armed actors vie for control of lucrative markets in illicit drugs and mining. The country has seen a wave of assassinations of peasants, civic leaders, and former guerrillas leading one important FARC leader to again take up arms. This panel will bring together scholars and practitioners to discuss the state of the peace process and the prospects for Colombia in the coming years."