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Is this the return of years of violence in Colombia? In a video released on Thursday (August 29th), Ivan Marquez, the former FARC number two, the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces, announces his takeover of arms, with the aim of fighting oligarchy and corruption. What future for the peace agreement? RFI interviewed Angelica Montes, a Franco-Colombian philosopher and director of the Grecol think tank.
RFI: In this FARC message, these men say they have been betrayed, in particular. How do you understand this word " treason " ?
Angelica Montes : For a year now, we have been saying that the government of Ivan Duque is reaping what he has sown. For the last year, the government and the Democratic Center, the government party, have submitted the peace agreement . This created an atmosphere of legal uncertainty for the ex-FARC and heightened fears among the population of the former territories controlled by the FARC . This did not help at all in consolidating these agreements and commitments between the FARC and the government.
What commitments, precisely ?
In the commitments, there were seven points. It was the respect of the political pluralism, the respect of the policies of the institutions, the transition of the culture of the coca towards legal cultures, the accompaniment of the population of the ex-FARC, whose formation and the reintegration in the life among others.
All these commitments were a little frozen, because the Duque government had instead been in a legal debate to judge the relevance or not of a special justice for peace. All this has really caused a situation of confusion and uncertainty. Today, we clearly see where the consequences of this situation are.
There was also this commitment of the right to stay alive for these ex-FARC. Many of them have been killed lately. Is this also a reason to take up arms again ?
Yes. This, among others, actually. More than 500 leaders and human rights defenders have been murdered in the past two years. More than 150 former guerrillas and also members of their families.
But behind all that, there is also a political fight within the FARC itself, because [Ivan] Marquez and [Jesus] Santrich have disassociated themselves from [Rodrigo] Londoño, leader of the legal party. It must be remembered that the FARC formed a legal party, the year 2017. And today it is called FARC - Common Revolutionary Alternative Force. The two people who appear on these videos, Ivan Marquez and Santrich, are in opposition on the line taken by this legal party, which is led by his former combat colleague, Mr. Rodrigo Londoño.
Peace agreements disarmed 7,000 guerrillas. What does this revival of weapons augur for the future? Should we expect even more violence ?
Unquestionably. The government of Ivan Duque will now find a pretext for setting up a war policy to protect the legality of the institutions and protect the population from the threat of new fighting areas, guerrillas coming from this new FARC-EP, which reconstituted.
It is also in an election climate. Electors should be told that in October elections will be held for the selection of mayors and governors. All this goes, indisputably, to create political uncertainty, but also fears, most likely for the benefit of the government party, the right-wing party, the Democratic Center.
Should we expect a military response from Ivan Duque's government ?
Yes. It is without doubt the exit. And that has always been the answer of the new government: you have to deal with all the illegal elements with weapons. So that will not change. But behind all this, the tragedy is rather human, because the situation of the populations will further deteriorate. Fear of assassinations, disappearances ... So we really take a step back. I would say ten steps back. We can end up with scenarios of violence similar to those that preceded the peace agreements.
Precisely, do you think that these peace agreements, today, are largely compromised ?
I would say that they are not dead, because in fact, the Common Alternative Revolutionary Forces - the political party of the FARC - are always committed to respect the various points signed with the government.
In addition, the party has distanced itself from [Ivan] Marquez and [Jesus] Santrich: the two people who appear on these videos have been excluded from the party. So we can not say that the FARC political party that was born of these agreements has taken up arms again. We are facing a confused situation, because the new movement will be called in the same way: FARC-EP.
This does not help at all to make it clear to the Colombian civil society that some of the guerrillas have actually taken up arms and [another part of the FARC is] in a logic of creating a political dynamic in the legality.
So we are going to get into a very confusing phase, because the legally constituted party is still there and at the same time, we have a new guerrilla called FARC who says they will go to war.