Colombia at a Critical Juncture for Peace: A Conversation with Members of the Peace Commission of Colombia’s House of Representatives
Event Sponsor
Event Co-Sponsors
Overview
*Please note this event will be held in Spanish and at the United States Institute of Peace
The United Nations Security Council recently acknowledged that peace in Colombia is at a “critical juncture,” as the implementation of the 2016 peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) is facing significant uncertainty and the peace process with the National Liberation Army (ELN) has been suspended in the aftermath of their January terrorist attack in Bogotá.
Under President Iván Duque’s administration, Colombia has made progress implementing the FARC peace accord. But noteworthy challenges remain, including the upcoming closure of the ex-combatant reintegration sites and the limited advancements in coca crop substitution and rural land reform.
Though the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) has continued to investigate FARC kidnappings and military extrajudicial killings, among other things, its neutrality has been questioned and congressional debates linger over the court’s legal framework. Meanwhile, the killing of social leaders, the crisis in neighboring Venezuela, and the imminent decision regarding the extradition of former FARC negotiator Jesús Santrich loom heavily. For its part, the ELN has yet to embrace the unilateral concessions demanded of it by the government to reconsider future peace talks.
Following a December visit from Colombia’s Senate Peace Commission, please join the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Inter-American Dialogue and the Woodrow Wilson Center for a public conversation with five prominent members of the country’s House of Representatives Peace Commission. The ad hoc legislative bodies provide unique fora to foster political consensus around peace.
Opening Remarks
Steve Hege
Senior Expert
United States Institute of Peace
Speakers
Juanita Goebertus
Congresswoman
Alianza Verde
David Pulido
Congressman
Cambio Radical
Carlos Ardila
Congressman
Partido Liberal
Gabriel Santos
Congressman
Centro Democrático
David Racero
Congressman
Decentes
John Jairo Hoyos
Congressman
Partido de la U
Moderator
Cynthia Arnson
Director, Latin American Program
Wilson Center
Photo by Fernando Garcia, Flickr
Hosted By
Latin America Program
The Wilson Center’s prestigious Latin America Program provides non-partisan expertise to a broad community of decision makers in the United States and Latin America on critical policy issues facing the Hemisphere. The Program provides insightful and actionable research for policymakers, private sector leaders, journalists, and public intellectuals in the United States and Latin America. To bridge the gap between scholarship and policy action, it fosters new inquiry, sponsors high-level public and private meetings among multiple stakeholders, and explores policy options to improve outcomes for citizens throughout the Americas. Drawing on the Wilson Center’s strength as the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum, the Program serves as a trusted source of analysis and a vital point of contact between the worlds of scholarship and action. Read more
Thank you for your interest in this event. Please send any feedback or questions to our Events staff.
