Conflict and Violence in Colombia: The Breaking Points in the Peace Process with the FARC

Conflict and Violence in Colombia: The Breaking Points in the Peace Process with the FARC

The violence in Colombia since the 1950s has generated more than 8 million victims and a phenomenon of internal conflict with different actors. Colombia has strived with drug trafficking, government corruption, social inequality, terror and violence for more than 50 years. This analysis covers the history of violence and peace deals with some guerrillas group, especially the final negotiation process with the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) which some difficulties have not allowed a successful implementation of signed agreements. This literature-based study aims to outline the Colombian conflict from a historical perspective, evaluate the peace process with one of the longest-running terrorist organizations in the world, and the reasons for the problems encountered. This paper mainly focused on Colombian armed conflict by analyzing the roots, the ideological foundations, and the characteristics of the FARC and evaluated the peace process between the FARC and the Colombian government and revealed the recent peace process's vulnerabilities.

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