They laid down arms. Now ex-guerrillas in Colombia fear fate under new hardline president
'Total peace' plan of previous government led only 99 of Colombia’s 30,000 armed combatants to disarm, but new president Abelardo De la Espriella opposes peace agreements
TL;DR
- 99 former guerrilla fighters disarmed and handed over their weapons in Colombia as part of a "total peace" plan.
- The fighters are currently in a government-controlled temporary zone (ZUT) but face an uncertain future under a new president who opposes peace negotiations.
- The "total peace" plan aimed to negotiate with and disarm all of Colombia's criminal groups, estimated to have nearly 30,000 members.
- The 99 disarmed individuals are awaiting vocational training and psychosocial support for their transition to civilian life.
- There is no clear legal framework for their reintegration, and their state protection is set to expire.
- The new president has signaled a return to a strategy of jailing or killing criminals, and has not announced plans for the disarmed group.
- The disarmed group represents a small fraction of the total number of armed combatants in Colombia.
- The previous administration's efforts to regulate surrenders failed in Congress, leaving no amnesty for crimes like kidnapping or drug trafficking.