Analysis: Colombia after the Plebiscite — Prospects for Peace

Blog of the IACL, AIDC

By Sebastián Machado, a PhD candidate with the Laureate Program of International Law at Melbourne Law School.

As reported in this blog, the Colombian people decided to vote against the peace agreement signed between the Colombian Government and the FARC guerrilla group by a very slim margin. As with Brexit, the outcome of this public vote was highly unexpected, and coupled with the massive public demonstrations and the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to President Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia lived through its most tumultuous week in its recent history.

At first glance it would seem odd that a country would choose war rather than peace. The decision, however, was not between war and peace but rather between different ways to achieve a ceasefire. The Government had continuously campaigned with the argument that the 297-page-long agreement was the best possible agreement, while the opposition — the…

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