Almost seven years after signing peace with guerrilla group FARC, Colombia’s government finally has a policy to dismantle the country’s illegal armed groups.
The policy seeks to dismantle the guerrilla and paramilitary groups that continued to be active in Colombia after the 2016 peace deal.
At the same time, the new strategy seeks to prevent the creation of new armed groups that could perpetuate the country’s decades-long armed conflict.
The policy was formulated by the National Commission for Security Guarantees (CNGS), a body that was created as part of the ongoing peace process and will monitor progress.
President Gustavo Petro’s advisor on the peace process, Gloria Cuartas, told newspaper El Espectador that the new policy seeks to target what causes the creation of illegal armed groups on top of seeking the dismantling of the currently existing groups.
The main change in terms of security and guarantees contained in this public policy has to do with orienting State actions to attack the criminal phenomenon by its causes and not so much by its effects. This means that beyond attacking criminal organizations, structures and conducts, what we will attack is the criminal phenomenon that reproduces violence in the territories.
Presidential peace advisor Gloria Cuartas
This “integral approach” implies that the government will invest in economic development, and social and political organization specifically to prevent new surges of organized violence.
The implementation of the new security policy will be prioritized in Magdalena Medio, Caguan and Northern Cauca, three regions that have seen multiple cycles of violence and armed conflict over the past 70 years.
Because the causes of violence differs in each region, the government and security forces will seek differentiated approaches per region.
The implementation of the security policy will be implemented while the government is negotiating the dismantling of guerrilla groups ELN and EMC, multiple paramilitary groups and urban crime organizations in the cities of Medellin and Buenaventura.
The CNGS will be monitoring progress in the implementation of the policy until Petro leaves office in 2026.
