https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/colombian-presidential-election-looms-fears-grow-about-fate-historic-peace-n872936
When Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced a number of emergency decrees last month in a bid to salvage a
landmark ceasefire agreement with leftist guerrillas, the fragility of the country’s truce was laid bare.
The measures, forced through Congress following a surge in drug trafficking-related violence and allegations of embezzlement of peace funds, came almost
eighteen months after the Santos administration shook hands with leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in a deal to end over five
decades of civil war.
Fears for the future of the peace process are now set to escalate as Iván Duque, candidate for the conservative Democratic Center party, has pledged to make
“structural modifications” to a deal that he and his supporters believe lets demobilized rebels off the hook for serious war crimes.
Duque, a protégé of former president Álvaro Uribe, a fierce critic of the peace process, leads with 38 percent of intended votes ahead of the first round of the
election on May 27th, with his closest rival, the left wing firebrand Gustavo Petro, with 25 percent. Duque and Petro are favorites to face off in a second round
of voting on June 17th.
Experts warn that tampering with the agreement could end up reigniting hostilities.
“If the FARC read it in a certain way, we could see a lot of members, including mid-level commanders, going back to violence,” said Kyle Johnson, senior
analyst for Colombia at the International Crisis Group.
The conflict in Colombia between government troops, Marxist guerrillas, right wing paramilitaries and drug cartels left more than 220,000 people dead and
millions internally displaced.