The rise of violence in Colombia highlights the complexity of implementing a peace agreement and how the absence of war does not necessarily guarantee peace.
Political violence, state incapacity and post-peace agreement Colombia
By Jerónimo Ríos Sierra /
Two Gringos with Questions
An interview with Douglas Farah, President of IBI Consultants
Farah joins the podcast to speak on his recently published report for the William Perry Center on how the Bolivarian Alliance, led by the Nicolás Maduro regime, used legitimate protests in Chile, Colombia and Ecuador to sow chaos in these countries.
Foreign Policy & U.S./Latin America Relations
Turmoil in the Western Hemisphere
By Douglas Farah and Caitlyn Yates /
Taking advantage of the demonstrations that flared across Latin America at the end of 2019, outside actors worked to push legitimate social protest to violent extremes as a part of a deliberate destabilization strategy.
Crime
Drug trafficking and Colombian ‘peace’
By Mar Romero Sala /
Since the disarming of the FARC two-and-a-half years ago, the actors, figures and methods have changed. But the conclusion is clear: drug trafficking in Colombia is more alive than ever before.
Democracy & Elections
Where’s the party? Is Colombia about to become Peru?
By Christopher Sabatini / chrissabatini /
Ivan Duque’s low approval ratings have been blamed on missteps, migrants and a mentor that never seems to go away. But there are structural reasons too, and those aren’t likely to go away after his term.
Policymaking
Colombia’s seeming never-ending violence
By Jerónimo Ríos Sierra / MENU
The ELN may just have destroyed the possibility of peace in the long-troubled country, not just with the ELN but under the peace agreement with the FARC.
Democracy & Elections
Duque won the election, but Petro is also a winner
By Jerónimo Ríos Sierra /
Gustavo Petro has reasons to be optimistic after his defeat. The left has a new presence in Colombian politics and could emerge stronger for the next elections.
Foreign Policy & U.S./Latin America Relations
In Colombia, false positives are a false start for peace
By Paul J. Angelo /
The FARC have committed to coming clean about abuses committed during the conflict in a transitional justice tribunal. Will state actors accused of crimes do the same?
Policymaking
Recapturing the mandate for peace in Colombia: Rural populations and elite fragmentation
By Ryan Garfinkel /
While elite fractionalization between President Santos and former President Uribe played a tangible role in the outcome of the 2016 plebiscite and has continued to influence Colombian electoral politics, it also provides a window of opportunity for Fajardo’s centrist candidacy.