On Sunday, November 16, the FARC Guerrillas captured a
general of the Government’s army who was traveling within their controlled
territory. The government responded with a suspension of the peace negotiations
until his release. This has been the most serious setback for the relatively
successful peace process. However, with assistance from Norway and Cuba as
guarantors of the peace talks, as well as assistance from the International Red
Cross, the FARC agreed to release the general and his companions, which should
be happening this coming week.
The peace process is set to continue, and after such a
hurdle, the hope is that it will have gained strength. As this exemplifies the
fragility of the peace process, I wanted to include information here on the conflict
in Colombia and what can be done by our brothers and sisters in the United
States to support the people of Colombia to reach a lasting and just peace. A
return to the table to negotiate a peace is crucial. While an agreement written
down on paper will not automatically bring peace into the everyday lives of the
Colombian people, it will lay out a strong blueprint and path for its
implementation and the construction of peace.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA, who we
work with) builds its relationship with the church and people of Colombia based
on the model of accompaniment, or: “walking together in solidarity that
practices interdependence and mutuality”. Walking in solidarity with the church
and people of Colombia starts with the victims of violence by all armed actors
in the conflict. The victims are calling for truth, justice, meaningful
reparations and a guarantee that the vicious past will not be repeated, including
the root causes of the conflict.
The ELCA is a member of the Latin America Working Group
(LAWG), a coalition of over 60 organizations dedicated to promoting U.S.
policies toward Latin America that support human rights, social justice, and
sustainable development. This coalition has issued a number of quality resources
to learn about the conflict that has existed in Colombia for more than 50
years. LAWG has also coordinated advocacy efforts to push the U.S Government to
adopt policies that will advance the peace process based on justice and human
rights.
“The Human Costs of
the Colombian Conflict” is an infographic with a number of statistics about
the armed conflict.
“How
can the United States help Colombia Achieve Peace?” is a memo produced by
LAWG covering a detailed list of the many different manners the United States
Government can support the peace process in Colombia.
Once the peace talks resume (hopefully soon), I will post
some action items for those interested.