BOGOTÁ, Colombia -- There are few countries in the world that are in the midst of an armed conflict while also facing a post-conflict situation. Today, Colombia, the third most populous country in Latin America, is confronting such a challenge. Three years ago, Colombia's President, Alvaro Uribe, initiated a peace process with the Self- Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), an umbrella organization of right-wing paramilitary factions. Since then, nearly 32,000 fighters have laid down their arms. In July 2005, the controversial Justice and Peace Law was passed which set out the framework for demobilization, the punishments paramilitaries would receive and what compensation victims could expect. The law, which provides immunity from extradition to the United States and a maximum eight-year prison sentence, has been criticized by local and international NGOs for being too lenient. In recent months, notorious ex-paramilitary chiefs have been seen roaming around the country in Hummers, going on shopping sprees and parading in fancy restaurants. It was time to rein the warlords in. Last month, Uribe ordered their arrests in a surprise crackdown and gave the marauding paramilitary chiefs a stark ultimatum: Either voluntarily turn yourselves in or relinquish the benefits of the Justice and Peace Law. Uribe decided it was high time to start the judicial process which up until then had been in limbo and was steadily losing credibility in Colombia and abroad.
Keep reading for free!
Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:
Or, Subscribe now to get full access.
Already a subscriber? Log in here .
What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:
A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:
- Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
- Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
- Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
- The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
- The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
- Completely ad-free reading.
And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.