Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 5 december 2017

Peace in Colombia fragile year after historic deal with FARC

By ALBA TOBELLA on the dissident FARC reb-
JOSHUA GOODMAN els, who it said ordered the
Associated Press farmers to confront secu-
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) rity forces while their drug
— When rebel commander crops were being harvest-
Rodrigo Londono signed a ed. But others say the slow
peace deal committing his roll-out of the crop-substi-
troops to laying down their tution plan in the accord is
weapons, it was heralded fueling tensions.
as the best chance in de- Nationwide at least 61 left-
cades to end Latin Ameri- ist activists, many of them
ca’s oldest and bloodiest leaders of communities
armed conflict. dependent on the coca
But as war-weary Colom- trade, have been killed so
bia marks the first anniver- far this year, according to
sary of the peace accord’s the United Nations. That’s
signing recently, the hope- up from 52 murders during
ful mood has dimmed. the same period in 2016.
While the guerrillas’ guns Some are the result of land
have been silenced, imple- disputes that have revived
mentation of the historic without the FARC around
deal is flagging, according to impose control.
to several outside observ- The fragile peace on the
ers supporting the peace ground mirrors equally
process. Lawmakers are still Weapons belonging to rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, are stored treacherous political reali-
at a rebel camp in La Carmelita near Puerto Asis in Colombia’s southwestern state of Putumayo.
racing against the clock to Since the peace accord was signed just over one year ago, many of the 8,000 guerrillas who ties. On Dec. 1, Congress’
meet a deadline for pass- disarmed in June appear to have grown disillusioned, with about 55 percent having left the rural special fast-track author-
ing key elements of the ac- camps where they were expected to make the transition back to civilian life, according to the ity to implement the ac-
cord, and violence in areas United Nations. cord expires, with several
once dominated by the (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) key piece of legislation still
Revolutionary Armed Forc- ment that has about 1,000 compared to the same pe- point for much of the co- pending. Foremost among
es of Colombia, or FARC, fighters nationwide. riod a year ago, according caine heading to Central them is a bill setting up the
is once again on the rise “This is exactly what you to a recent study by Bogo- America and then by land special peace tribunals
amid a record surge in co- don’t want in a peace pro- ta-based Ideas for Peace to the U.S. The city is disput- where former rebels as well
caine production. cess,” said Dag Nylander, Foundation. ed among criminal gangs as members of the security
Meanwhile, many of the a former Norwegian diplo- The driver of violence is a and a dissident FARC forces are to be judged for
8,000 guerrillas who dis- mat who was the chief in- deepening turf war for the movement — all of which their war crimes.
armed in June appear to ternational mediator of the valuable drug routes once are recruiting former rebels “Without the transitional
have grown disillusioned, four-year talks. “If Colom- controlled by the FARC. whose only marketable skill justice element in place,
with about 55 percent hav- bia doesn’t act now, the Since 2013, the year af- is wielding a gun. Also ac- the whole peace agree-
ing left the rural camps peace process is not going ter peace talks began in tive in the area is the much- ment could collapse,” said
where they were expected to be the example for the Cuba, cocaine production smaller National Liberation Nylander, who blames the
to make the transition back rest of the world that both in Colombia has more than Army, which has initiated political dynamic ahead
to civilian life, according to sides said it would be.” tripled to potentially 710 peace talks of its own with of wide-open presidential
the United Nations. While As during the war, security metric tons last year, ac- the government. elections six months away
the government contends remains the chief concern. cording to U.S. estimates. Last month, seven protest- for lawmakers dragging
many are just breaking free Although Colombia’s homi- Nowhere is the volatile mix ing, coca-growing farmers their feet. “It seems like
from the once total control cide rate nationally is hov- of drugs, retreating rebels in Tumaco were killed in several political actors and
of their former command- ering near a four-decade and traditional state ne- clashes with police sent in institutions, including Con-
ers, many fear they could low, murders in former FARC glect as intensely felt as in to forcibly eradicate the gress, are running away
be joining criminal gangs enclaves jumped 14 per- the Pacific Ocean port of drug crops. The govern- from their commitments
or a dissident FARC move- cent in the first half of 2017 Tumaco, an embarkation ment blamed the incident because of the 2018 elec-
tions.”
At Press Time: The president said he’s
optimistic his peace coali-
Honduran president holds lead as vote count wraps up tion in congress will hold
together long enough to
bulletproof the core of
By FREDDY CUEVAS didate Salvador Nasralla’s not declaring a winner yet. has called for a far broader the agreement from any
Associated Press 41.4 percent, according to “We will do that later,” Mat- recount and a redo of the serious meddling should a
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras the latest results published amoros said, adding that entire vote. more conservative gov-
(AP) — President Juan Or- on the electoral tribunal’s parties will have 10 days to Both Hernandez and Nas- ernment take power next
lando Hernandez held a website. His edge expand- challenge the results. ralla have claimed victory. year, as many analysts
lead of more than 52,000 ed in the latest count from The last ballot boxes that Nasralla had led in initial re- expect. The outlook is less
votes in Honduras’ hotly about 46,000 votes. presented “inconsisten- turns before a lengthy de- certain for hundreds of oth-
disputed presidential race Tribunal president David cies” were examined lay interrupted reports from er ambitious peacebuild-
as the long-delayed count Matamoros said 100 per- without the presence of electoral officials, feed- ing measures, everything
wrapped up Monday, cent of the ballots had Nasralla and his Opposi- ing opposition complaints from agrarian reform to
eight days after the elec- been tabulated — al- tion Against Dictatorship of irregularities. Officials a rethinking of the health
tion. Hernandez led by a though the website still alliance, which chose not blamed the pause on tech- and education systems,
margin of 43 percent of the showed 0.04 percent left to to send representatives as nical problems and denied contained in the 310-page
votes over opposition can- count — but the court was vote tallying continued. He any manipulation.q agreement. q