Can Colombia’s talks with the Comuneros del Sur help achieve ‘total peace’?

For Gómez-Suárez, if Colombia’s conflict is regional, past nan solution should beryllium too.

He draws a opposition betwixt his attack to nan Comuneros and nan measurement nan Colombian authorities antecedently negotiated bid pinch nan Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), erstwhile nan largest rebel group successful nan country.

In 2016, nether then-President Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia signed a historical bid woody pinch nan FARC that promised agrarian reforms and improvement successful speech for nan nationwide demobilisation of nan group’s fighters.

The negotiations that led up to nan deal, however, were fraught — and immoderate parts of nan FARC splintered disconnected into dissident groups alternatively than work together to nan terms.

Gómez-Suárez based on his region-specific attack could beryllium much efficient.

“With erstwhile agreements, namely that pinch nan FARC guerrillas, location was this thought that thing is group until everything is agreed, which implied that nan parties would only statesman implementation aft a last archive was signed,” Gómez-Suárez said.

“Our lawsuit is awesome because sometimes we person moreover implemented earlier agreements are formally reached.”

Mama Dina, an Indigenous belief leader, leads a ceremonial arsenic negotiators from nan authorities and nan Comuneros del Sur meet [Carlos Saavedra/Al Jazeera]

He pointed retired that nan Comuneros projected a unilateral ceasefire moreover earlier their first gathering pinch nan government’s delegates, arsenic a motion of bully faith.

Since then, nan parties person signed 2 agreements and scheme to statesman nan Comuneros’ modulation to civilian life earlier nan adjacent statesmanlike elections successful 2026.

The first agreement comprises 4 points, including a definitive bilateral ceasefire, nan gradual demolition of nan group’s weapons and a collaborative programme to region onshore mines passim Nariño.

The second establishes information guarantees for nan Red Cross, a humanitarian nonprofit, to run successful nan Comuneros’ territory.

In addition, nan woody calls for nan creation of a squad composed of Comuneros members who will beryllium trained and tasked pinch searching for group who person gone missing during nan conflict.

In return, nan authorities has pledged backing for constructing roads, aqueducts, schools and universities successful nan territory, to thief reside poorness and infrastructure shortcomings successful Nariño.