October 2nd,
2016; how could I forget the day in which Colombia’s citizens would decide whether
to support the final agreement for the
end of the conflict and the development of a stable and lasting peace. Experiencing 62 percent of absenteeism, the
plebiscite was rejected by the 50.2 percent of the voters who were outraged and
did not support the way the accord had been set in Havana, Cuba. In fact, some of the voters believed that
the agreement’s “gender-based approach” opposed their personal convictions
against homosexuality. It is an
unfortunate mistake to be unknown that actually this approach means equal opportunities
for women’s participation and the involvement of their organizations in the
accord’s implementation.
I witnessed
that dark day at the Colombian Consulate in Newark, New Jersey. Sadly, I slowly
started to realize how Colombians were divided by our ideas. I understood that the act of forgiving is
more difficult than we usually think. Despite of my own personal indignation over
the result, it was indeed, necessary to reconcile the ideas’ division cleaving
our country.
Despite the
early October setback, it took the government less than two months to assure
that the peace path should remain firm, but this time, it had to consider the
opposition’s remarks. Fortunately, the
agreement was well structured and happened to include the legislative initiative
as an alternative endorsement, so by late November, the government had already
signed an edited and final agreement for peace.
The current
implementation and the pace at which it has been carried is impressive, and especially
due to the participation of the UN’s political verification mission which achieved
the collection of the FARC’s weapons armament in 180 days.
The
post-conflict era that the peace agreement projects for Colombia requires the
constant verification of both national and international observers, which is overlooked
by the opposition. Once the collection of FARC weapons is complete, certainly different
difficulties will arise during the post-conflict path. Reconciliation’s process
will require additional efforts which are impossible to accurately predict now;
however, the responsibility to act should rely on officials at the municipal
and departmental levels. It is irrational
to blame one single person, namely the president of the republic, for all the
country’s struggles and post-conflict challenges. The
Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) and the economic and social
reincorporation of the ex-FARC combatants should be a task every mayor,
governor, government representative and citizen of Colombia adopts.
Implementation duration
What is the Colombians’
overall knowledge regarding the Framework
Plan for Implementation of the Agreements (Plan Marco de Iplementación de
los Acuerdos)? One can say it will be
in force during ten years, and it will be included within the National Development
Plan (Plan Nacional de Desarrollo) during the following two
presidential terms; therefore, Colombians should get acquainted with it. Let’s not fail because of ignorance. Let’s not destroy the present due to the hate
suffered during our past.
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