No one in Colombia is so naive as to expect peace to come easy, but I question whether it is wise for Santos’ war minister to be claiming that the state has successfully recaptured areas formerly controlled by the FARC when in fact they are being mightily contested by various armed actors—criminal bands, the ELN, dissident FARC factions.
Peace requires truth, not posturing.
Truth builds trust.
The report from InSight Crime:
Timochenko is claiming too that the demobilizing guerrillas are being left without food. “Food has not arrived in various zones for four days; if hunger didn’t defeat us in the war, neither shall it in peace.” See:
Carrizal and its demobilization zone is a microcosm of Colombia, to wit: the governmental abandon that produced the breeding ground for guerrilla groups and the general disarray that is so far characterizing the operations for peace. “Many residents are even encouraging the FARC to be prepared to return to war if the government’s promises don’t arrive.” #yikes The government is going to have to get its ass in gear if it wants to avoid sabotaging itself:
My prayer is for peace and logistics.
