Colombia's Fork in the Road? President Santos' Treaty with The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)

Abstract

Colombia is considered Latin America’s most stable democracy; meanwhile, it is war-torn by the internal conflict with the guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The armed conflict with the FARC has lasted for fifty-two years and has claimed the lives of 220,000 innocent civilians. The year 2016 marked the historic and controversial moment that President Santos of Colombia signed a peace treaty with the FARC, ignoring the results of a referendum that was intended to ratify the treaty. This paper will argue that President Santos’ refusal to recognize the FARC’s role in drug trafficking allows for future repercussions in Colombian politics and does not ensure that the democracy of which his beautiful country has boasted can be maintained. Furthermore, this paper contends that in bypassing the results of the referendum he has opened the door for the next government to oppose the peace treaty, possibly creating severe consequences for Colombia. In sum, President Santos has forcefully led Colombia on a journey it did not choose, leaving the future uncertain.