#DefendThePeace
On January 20, Defend the Peace Colombia (Defendamos la Paz, DLP) published a statement addressed to President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in regard to the current state of Colombia’s historic 2016 peace accord between the Colombian State and the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group. DLP is a broad coalition composed of many sectors of national and international civil society and of which WOLA forms part of.
The statement expressed deep concern about the faltering implementation of the accord and the various obstacles brought forth under the Iván Duque administration and throughout the tenure of the former Donald Trump administration. Core components of the accord like the transitional justice system have either been sidelined, are advancing slowly, or face explicit opposition by the executive, which undermine the rights of victims of the armed conflict. Since the accord’s ratification in late 2016, at least 248 former FARC combatants—individuals committed to the peace process—and over 1,000 community social leaders have been assassinated.
Recognizing the significant contributions of the Obama administration in advancing the historic peace process, DLP requests bold foreign policy support by the Biden-Harris administration to ensure comprehensive implementation of the accord. Advancing the accord will help protect community social leaders and former combatants, safeguard the victims of the conflict, and support sustainable illicit drug policy.
The original Spanish-language statement is here.
The English translation of the statement is here.
January 21, 2021