The Elusive Consensus on Peace in Colombia: A Conversation with the Colombian Senate’s Peace Commission

Dec 11 2018

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Open to the Public

United States Institute of Peace
2301 Constitution Ave NW
Washington DC, 20037

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Registration
8:30am – 9:00am

Panel Discussion and Presentation
9:00am – 11:00am

Since taking office in August 2018, Colombia’s government has sought to devise new strategies to advance peace and security in a country long plagued by armed conflict and organized criminal violence. The tense electoral cycle was characterized by sharp divergences over both the 2016 peace agreement signed by then-President Juan Manuel Santos and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and ongoing peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN). Despite lingering polarization, President Iván Duque has promised to forge unity over remaining implementation challenges and the future of dialogue with the ELN.

Political consensus around peace, however, has remained elusive. Duque has sought to balance his declared commitment to accord implementation and the desire of his own political coalition to modify certain aspects of the agreement or minimize their importance in the face of other economic and budgetary goals. His preconditions for re-starting negotiations with the ELN have led to a deadlock.

In this context, the House and Senate Peace Commissions of the Colombian Congress represent unique fora for debate. These bodies include legislators from diverse political parties and are increasingly engaged in the search for compromise over key peace building issues related to peace and security.

Please join the United States Institute of Peace, the Inter-American Dialogue, and the Woodrow Wilson Center for a conversation with three prominent members of the Colombian Senate’s Peace Commission. To follow the conversation on Twitter, follow #ColombiaPeaceForum.

OPENING REMARKS

Michael Camilleri

Director, Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program, Inter-American Dialogue (@camillerimj)

SPEAKERS

Paloma Valencia

Senator, Centro Democrático(@PalomaValenciaL)

Roy Barreros

Senator, Partido de la Unidad Nacional (@RoyBarreros)

Iván Cepeda

Senator, Polo Democratico Alternativo (@IvanCepedaCast)

MODERATOR

Steve Hege

Senior Expert on Colombia, US Institute on Peace

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