What is the Price of Peace?
Colombia has been at war with itself for over half a century. The FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) is the guerrilla movement responsible for this civil war. They follow a Marxist-Communist ideology and have been in at the forefront of most major kidnaps, extortions and terrorist acts in Colombia since its formation in 1964. The war between the FARC and the Colombian government has been the defining characteristic of modern Colombian life, and most Colombians cannot remember a time when the country was at peace. However, it seems the peace might not be as distant as it once was.
A new dawn might be looming over the Colombian horizon, as the FARC is currently conducting peace negotiations with their government to put an end to the conflict. The FARC wants to legitimize their movement into an actual political party. Timochenko, the leader of the FARC, has enthusiastically told his followers that their ”greatest satisfaction will always be that peace has won”. Likewise, the Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos has strongly encouraged his people to vote for this peace referendum that will take place on October 2, 2016. The “Yes” campaign has received overwhelming support from prominent members of the political left, centre and right, and has even seen the approval of the nation’s most famous celebrities like Shakira and Carlos Vives.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are many Colombians who openly oppose this peace agreement. Among their biggest complaints is that no members of the FARC will serve time in prison for their involvement in the guerrillas, despite the movement’s direct involvement in the deaths of over 220,000 people. The newly formed FARC political party would also be guaranteed 10 seats in Congress if the referendum were to pass, which is a term former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe has strongly opposed. The referendum is also seen by many as being unconstitutional, as it basically legitimizes drug trafficking and violence by letting all of the FARC’s crimes slide. The debate has been very heated over the past couple of months, with one side opting for some long-needed peace while the other advocates for law and justice.
The ball is on the Colombian population’s court now, as they alone will decide the future of their country. What lengths would a country ravaged by war and violence go to for the sake of peace? Is this referendum simply Colombia giving up to terrorist demands, or are they doing what’s best for their war-torn country and for the future of their children? It’s really hard to say, and the polls seemingly agree, as the decision appears to be split right down the middle. It’s easy to overlook how big some decisions can be, and how small everything else in comparison. One thing’s for sure, for better or for worse the future of Colombia will be decided on October 2, 2016. The times they are cambiando.
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