As part of his “Total Peace” plan, President Gustavo Petro has asked Colombia’s armed groups clamp down on lethal violence. While some have complied, others have traded conspicuous violence for other types of coercion, leading many to fear they are taking advantage of the government’s outreach to quietly dig in their heels.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro is suddenly facing two scandals triggered by the alleged misdeeds of his son and brother. The question now is whether his family matters will turn out to be much ado about not very much, or the kind of controversy that cripples his presidency, which is still only in its first year.
Though Peru’s protests have entered a lull in recent weeks, its neighbors in the Andes are now experiencing their own political challenges, with the presidents of Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia having all hit their own rough patches in recent weeks. While the details of their political crises are different, two big trends connect them.