Colombia must just move on

Colombia must just move on

December 01, 2016
File photo shows Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos holds the peace deal with rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC after delivering it to Congress in Bogota, Colombia. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has won Nobel Peace Prize. — AP
File photo shows Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos holds the peace deal with rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC after delivering it to Congress in Bogota, Colombia. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has won Nobel Peace Prize. — AP

File photo shows Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos holds the peace deal with rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC after delivering it to Congress in Bogota, Colombia. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has won Nobel Peace Prize. — APColombian president Juan Manuel Santos is under fire for pushing through a revised peace deal with the country’s main terrorist group, without going back to voters with another referendum to seek their approval. Last month, an earlier deal was narrowly rejected in a plebiscite.

Santos is claiming that the revised settlement addresses the concern expressed in the referendum that the terms of the deal were overly lenient on Farc leaders. He has, therefore, this week persuaded his country’s upper chamber, the Senate, to approve the accord which is now being sent to the lower house for ratification.

Nevertheless, opposition politicians are still deeply unhappy believing the agreement falls far short of what is necessary. But Colombians and their president should ignore these protests. As an exercise in conflict resolution, Colombia’s homegrown deal with Farc well justifies the award of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to president Santos.

The point about the agreement is that had it actually been able to satisfy all sides completely, there would probably never have been such a bloody insurrection in the first place. In the end, every conflict that does not see the complete destruction of the enemy, (which rare event happened in Sri Lanka with the utter defeat of the Tamil Tigers), ends at the negotiating table. And the essence of successful negotiation is compromise.

There comes a point when the looming possibility of peace transcends the anger and passions to which an insurrection has given birth. No less than 260,000 people have lost their lives in Farc violence. There is plenty of anger among the bereaved and little feeling of forgiveness.

But the options in Colombia, as elsewhere, are clear. Is the chance of an end to the violence to be grasped by making deals with the men responsible for it or should the government continue with the struggle when five decades of conflict have demonstrated quite clearly that it simply cannot win?

With the ending of the Farc insurrection, which was funded by cocaine production, comes the real chance of bringing a halt to smaller rebellions, also fueled by drug money. For sure these terrorists are guilty of great crimes. But is it not better to have them stop in return for an amnesty? Nelson Mandela, who became an icon of the liberal left, was a convicted deadly terrorist. Had he been kept locked up on Robben Island by the apartheid government of Hendrik Verwoerd, the bloodshed would have continued. Instead he was released, South Africa embarked upon a path of truth and reconciliation and the Rainbow Nation was born, even though its colors have since faded under continuing rule of the ANC.

History is full of former terrorists who have gone on to become respected world leaders. Exceptions like Zimbabwe’s failed president Robert Mugabe can be ignored. This is not to suggest that among the Farc warlords there will emerge politicians of stature. But what is certain is that with the putting up of the guns, with the arrival of peace, Colombia like every other country traumatized and brutalized by merciless terrorism, now has a chance to start over in the ways of peace and prosperity. Decent Colombians may never forget the depravities of Farc terror but now is the time for them to move on and share in the most important prize of peace.


December 01, 2016
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