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On August 7, Juan Manuel Santos takes office for his second presidential term. After nearly losing a contentious campaign and run-off election, Santos faces an even more uphill battle than when he was sworn in four years ago. With FARC peace talks still taking place in Havana, deficient education and health systems, and a strong Uribe-backed opposition in Congress, the incumbent will have to make a concerted effort to push the peace accords while engaging policies that promote progress.
On July 23rd, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted five Colombians with extensive experience in the public sphere. Marta Lucía Ramírez, former presidential candidate; Rafael Nieto, former vice minister of justice; Rafael Pardo, former minister of labor under Santos; Rodrigo Pardo, director of news at RCN; and Fernando Cepeda, professor at University of Los Andes, provided a lively, balanced discussion representative of the opposing viewpoints in Colombia.
The peace talks, which have been an unattainable goal for former Colombian presidents, were central to the discussion, as they were to Santos’ chief platform during the re-election campaign. Rodrigo Pardo said that the elections and campaign were important for resetting the peace talks on the right direction in regards to engaging the public, as well as clarifying Santos’ intentions and plans. However, Rafael Nieto pointed out that during Santos’ 2014 campaign, he rallied support from leftist groups (such as militants and labor unions) under the guise of a peace coalition, but which might not necessarily reflect in congressional support and agreements. Rafael Pardo disagreed, saying Santos should be applauded for his success in bringing these formerly non-participatory groups into the country’s political dialogue.
Santos has received some backlash from critics for not advancing the peace talks along or focusing on them enough. Cepeda mentioned that while the peace process has already taken 4 years, it will not be possible to see the immediate result of the talks because it is a part of a prolonged process. Rodrigo Pardo concurred, saying that the accords do not signify an automatic peace, but instead the initiation of a process of peace. Rafael Pardo said that the question at hand is no longer if the FARC wants peace talks, but if the peace with the FARC can be aptly handled by Colombian society.
The peace talks also intertwine with pressing societal issues that need to be addressed promptly. During the session, Ramírez spoke of true peace as not only formulating an agreement with FARC, but also creating better access to education and quality of life, and eliminating issues of insecurity such as child recruitment into the FARC and terrorism attempts. She emphasized strengthening state institutions and the rule of law as part of the peace process, warning that the FARC’s intentions are still to exercise power in certain regions of Colombia.
Despite diverging views and opinions, peace is still the main priority for most Colombians. If Santos can incorporate the opinion of those who support him and those who have a more conditional definition of peace, he will move closer to fulfilling his most prevalent campaign promise.. As Shifter said during his opening, Colombia is growing rapidly and increasing its ability to compete with its neighbors, but faces great challenges. Resolving the decades-long armed conflict and finally finding peace is the final step in its transformation from a nearly failed state to a blossoming regional power.
