In Colombia, the talks may continue, but will the commitments?

Since the fifties, conflict between the Colombian government and the FARC has been the most volatile political struggle in Colombia. This armed conflict between the leftist rebel group and the government has taken an estimated 220,000 lives since it began in 1948. The current round of peace talks, held in Havana, Cuba, have been ongoing for the past two years. Happily, some relative progress has been on their agenda. They have reached agreements on three of their six peace points: land reform, political participation, and policies regarding illicit drugs. Yet still waiting for negotiation are the other three critical issues of the rights of victims, disarmament, and implementation of the final treaty.

On November 18, this process was interrupted by the announcement that FARC had captured General Ruben Dario Alzate and two soldiers. This was perhaps a response to the Colombian government’s ongoing dominance in the political sphere, despite that negotiations are intended to place the two actors in mutual dialogue. This is the first time in the history of the conflict that a Colombian general has been kidnapped. The FARC rejects many criticisms against this decision, maintaining that these kidnappings are “a legitimate act of war”. Unsurprisingly, FARC’s actions have prompted the government to end this round of peace talks, insisting they can only continue when the prisoners have been released.

On Monday, President Juan Manuel Santos (left) stated that “We must be clear: although we are currently negotiating in the middle of a conflict, the FARC have to understand that peace will not come from escalating violent actions and undermining trust”. Yet despite that this opinion dominates much of Colombian discourse about the conflict, reactions among Colombian senators have been versatile. There is, on one hand,  the idea that talks cannot resume until both sides have agreed on the cross party call for a ceasefire. Still others such as Carlos Lozano of NGO “Colombians for Peace” argue that the peace talks must continue because the government has agreed to follow through on the negotiations in light of the possibility of ongoing violence.

If we situate this debate in a more theoretical context, we are presented with a serious question on the legitimate use of force. If the state cannot ensure peace among its subjects, or if as some argue its oppression necessitates the use of rebellious violence, is the scope of its power justifiable? One response can be found in Max Weber’s definition of a state as a “… human community that successfully claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory”. In the case of the Colombian state, they are attempting to maintain the “legitimacy” of their physical force to assert their power over the FARC rebels. At the same time in the recent talks, the state has continued to insist that they lack a monopoly on violence, given the FARCs ongoing use of force in politics. This question has woven itself through many decades of this conflict, but as we can see, the paradox of attempting to establish a stable peace by struggling over the use of force fails to provide any true progress.

So turning to the alternatives at hand, what could a ceasefire or a renewal of the peace talks mean for Colombians? One possibility is that a stable agreement on one of the peace points, such as drug trafficking, could diminish the peripheral violence outside of the central military struggle. The FARC obtains most of its income from cocaine, which generates violence at multiple stages of trade. Had the peace talk proposals been implemented, there could have been alternative means of creating revenues that would both empower FARC and vastly improve the security situation for Colombian civilians. Without peace talks conditioned to ensure that FARC feels it has a serious interest however, there may be pauses in the formal conflict, but the violence of other aspects of the power struggle would continue.

Another consideration is that Colombia has experienced economic growth at a rate of 4% of GDP annually in the past decade. If the peace talks continue, these gains and stable peace could serve to "… strengthen formal employment, hasten poverty reduction, and improve quality of life" (Buschschluter, 2014). And whether or not the talks continue, the Colombian government must seriously undertake the actual process of decreasing unemployment, etc., for a genuinely inclusive post-conflict society. Such efforts must go beyond the printed words on a peace treaty or government statements to the media. This pause created by the FARC action shows us that the rebels are dissatisfied by the alleged progress so far, and that both sides must consider if the mutually stabilizing future intended by the peace process is compatible with their real willingness to compromise.

The complex interplay of the responsibilities of ending violence while also establishing a post-conflict power map that favors all goals of development and integration provides us with a look into the tensions that have driven the FARC to take hostages. Given the ugly history of killing in this conflict, this momentary arrest of persons and national attention may be worth the stakes if they can lead to a way forward in which both sides can take each other’s grievances and demands seriously.

AFP. (2014, November 22). FARC to free Colombian general, others next week: President. Retrieved November 23, 2014, from http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-farc-to-free-colombian-general-others-next-week-president-2014-11

Buschschluter, V. (2014, October 30). The price of peace in Colombia. Retrieved November 23, 2014, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-29693391

Colombia general 'released soon' (2014, November 19). Retrieved November 23, 2014, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30124727

FARC confirms capture of Colombian general. (2014, November 19). Retrieved November 23, 2014, from http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2014/11/farc-confirms-capture-colombian-general-201411181691199135.html

Mckenzie, V. (2014, November 19). Colombia divided over peace talks suspension - Colombia News | Colombia Reports. Retrieved November 23, 2014, from http://colombiareports.co/kidnapping/

Valdés, R., & Murphy, H. (2014, November 18). FARC Urges Continuation To Peace Talks After Confirming Army General's Kidnapping. Retrieved November 23, 2014, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/18/colombia-peace-talks-suspended-_n_6178784.html

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