Colombia at the Crossroads

Colombia is experiencing one of the longest armed conflicts of our time. What interests are at stake - and is the hope for peace justified?

Understanding Colombia today:

Most Colombians know their country only in a state of latent war. State terrorism, guerrilla warfare, paramilitarism, and drug trafficking are the driving forces behind one of the longest armed conflicts of our time. The peace negotiations of the government under President Juan Manuel Santos with the guerrillas are an attempt to create the conditions for a democratization of the state under neoliberal auspices. However, the shadows of a violent past weigh heavily on the present. The beneficiaries of the war still appear too influential, the historical failures on the path to a fairer land distribution are too severe, and the extent of human rights violations is too grave. Werner Hörtner, in his analysis - particularly of paramilitarism and the right-authoritarian rule of long-term president Álvaro Uribe - delves into the roots of the conflict. He also highlights the civil society actors and their commitment to peace, democracy, and reconciliation.