A Framework for Unity: Building Peace in Colombia’s Half-Century War

Building Peace in Colombia’s Half-Century War

Abstract

Colombia’s civil war, the longest war in modern history, finds itself at an inflection point in which either peace can slowly be attained or war can consume the country again. This article lays out a plan for a peace deal between the Colombian government and the agrarian Marxist ELN, taking the 2015 peace deal between the government and the leftist FARC as a point of reference. Despite a conservative administration that is hostile to peace currently in power, there are several tangible opportunities that make the next few months ripe for peace. The election of Joe Biden, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the growing unpopularity of the conservative approach to war can all facilitate the ELN coming to the negotiation table. This article lays out an ELN peace deal focused on agrarianism, inclusiveness, illegal drugs, and victims’ rights, and concludes with short-, mid-, and long-term goals to achieve peace.