Colombia's Fractured History and Continued Challenges following the Havana Accord

It was a momentous occasion when, on 12 November 2016, after a tortuous course of events, Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos optimistically proclaimed the reaching of a final accord that would put an end to the longest military conflict in modern history. The leader of this violence-ridden nation sought to assuage the stalemate created by the defeat of the government’s position in the referendum held on 2 October that same year. The rejection of what had become known as the Havana Accord, signed between the Colombian government and the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) that same month, represented an unmistakable and serious warning that, though essential, formal peace negotiations were not all the country needed. The revised agreement produced in the wake of the defeat in the referendum was later endorsed by the Colombian National Congress and, this time around, despite some criticism from ‘No’ supporters (particularly from the former president Alvaro Uribe and his conservative allies), Santos did not risk putting the document through a second referendum where another defeat was possible. Despite the feeling of achievement and the optimism conveyed by Mr Santos, it remains to be seen how this revised agreement will be implemented and whether it will sufficiently redress the recent history of this important Latin American nation. A reflection on these important matters is the focus of this briefing.