Aaron Tauss is associate professor of international politics at the National University of Colombia.
Led by former president Álvaro Uribe, Colombia’s far-right bloc has exported its politics across Latin America. Fortunately, thanks to inspiring street protests and an electoral challenge from the left, Colombia may not be a regional bastion of reaction for much longer.
More than five million Colombians — 10 percent of the country’s total population — have taken to the streets over the past two weeks to protest neoliberal policies, government corruption, police brutality, and the systematic murder of activists.
Recent elections in Colombia saw the Right’s Iván Duque win the presidency. But the Colombian left had its most impressive turnout in history.
Say “Colombian peace talks,” and you’ll likely think of the FARC. But another guerrilla group is key to securing a transformative peace.
The benefits of peace between FARC and the Colombian government will not be widely felt.