The Colombian Battle With the FARC Looks To Finally Be Over
The Colombian Battle With the FARC Looks To Finally Be Over
Published by Julie King January 21, 2016 12:37 pm
After more than a half century of brutal warfare, chaos, and tension, Colombia just might be re-establishing peace. The country’s leftist guerrilla or terrorist (Depending on which government is asked – As such, the FARC has been classified as a terrorist organization by the governments of Colombia, the United States, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, and the European Union; whereas the governments of Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, and Nicaragua do not) group and enemy number one, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and the Colombian government have been in peace negotiations for over a year, butting heads but slowly making progress. Now both sides are aiming to finally end the talks and resolve their issues by March 23 of this year.
51 Year Old Conflict Is About To End
Since 1964 when the FARC officially formed, its war with the Colombian State has resulted in a death toll of more that 220,000 citizens, with another 40,000 disappeared and five million displaced.
The FARC has had its ebbs and flows, but ranging at 7,000 members today, it still remains the largest and most powerful anti government group in Latin America. And for many of these soldiers, who come from modest, rural backgrounds, a life without guerrilla warfare and armed conflict is unfamiliar and even daunting.
But Colombia is debilitated and depleted by this 51-year-long war, and the rebels as well as the government are ready to finally put an end to it. The FARC has decided to enter politics legitimately instead of forcibly, but first with the government’s acceptance. They want their voice to finally be heard in politics. As Commander Leonidas of FARC reiterated, “in this new phase, the FARC is not going to demobilize, we are going to mobilize” politically. On the other hand, “Politics is a lot tougher than war … you pay for a mistake on the battlefield with your life, but an error in the field of politics brings down an entire organization,” FARC Commander Anibal articulated.
More:
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