Latin America Advisor

Humberto de la Calle, former vice president, interior minister and chief negotiator in the peace process with the FARC in Colombia: “After a significant improvement in security figures, particularly in the areas of homicides and kidnappings, concerns and threats that were believed to have been overcome have emerged. This has led the Colombian president to prepare a security policy that focuses on several points: first, citizen participation, by creating a civilian network made up of one million informants. Second is allowing for the carrying of weapons—the Ministry of Defense has been authorized to apply exceptions to the ban on private individuals’ weapons. Third is controlling the consumption of narcotics. The permissiveness of so-called minimum doses has disappeared, and the police is now authorized to confiscate such amounts of drugs. Fourth is harder conditions against the surviving guerrilla—talks with the ELN would only resume if hostilities cease. And fifth, the revision of the agreement ending the conflict with the FARC. It is too early to evaluate the results of this security policy, and there is a division of opinions. There are fears over…”