Colombia: Ten Years After the Peace Accord, Its Institutions Under Threat

Ten years after the signing of the historic peace agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), several institutions created under that accord now find themselves under threat.

Colombia's new far-right president, Abelardo de la Espriella, wants to dismantle several mechanisms established under the 2016 agreement — a move that has prompted alarm among human rights defenders and former victims of the armed conflict.

Among the targeted institutions is the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, a transitional judicial mechanism that continues to allow victims of the Colombian conflict to learn the truth about crimes committed during decades of civil war.

This court has played a central role in the national reconciliation process, providing a framework for establishing accountability and documenting abuses committed by the conflict's various actors, including former FARC combatants and members of state security forces.

The prospect of dismantling these institutions has reignited debate over the resilience of Colombia's peace process, which was internationally celebrated as a model for the negotiated resolution of a prolonged armed conflict.

Human rights organisations have expressed concern about the potential consequences of weakening these mechanisms for the pursuit of truth and reparations for victims of a conflict that lasted more than half a century.