Yesterday, Colombia elected Ivan Duque as the new president for the term of office from 2018 to 2022. With the election of Duque, the peace process in the country is threatened with final failure. Ten Swiss development and human rights organisations are calling on Ivan Duque's government to continue the peace process it has begun and to work for the security and rights of all Colombian citizens.
Media communiqué of 18.06.2018
On Sunday Colombia elected Iván Duque as its new president. After the first round of voting on May 27th, Ivan Duque won the second round with 53,98% of votes against Gustavo Petro. Duque will take office on August 7, 2018 and lead the government of Colombia for four years.
Peace treaty threatened
The ten Swiss development and human rights organizations regret the outcome of the election. With the election of Ivan Duque, the peace process in Colombia is in danger of finally failing. Under the government of his predecessor, Juan Manuel Santos, which had negotiated the peace treaty with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which came into force in 2016, its implementation had already come to a standstill. The release of imprisoned FARC fighters was delayed, as was the establishment of transitional justice and the agreed agricultural reform. During the election campaign, Duque made it clear that he wanted to shape the implementation of the peace treaty according to his own ideas, for example with regard to the supposed impunity for the former guerrillas. He also announced high hurdles for the continuation of peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN). Duque also supports a development and economic model that relies heavily on mining and agro-industry. This model has caused numerous conflicts within Colombian society and worked against peaceful coexistence in the country.
strengthening local and regional peace initiatives
The "Semillas de Esperanza" peace-building programme, which the ten Swiss organisations have been implementing together with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) since 2014, aims to build peace from below in a region historically burdened by violence. In the Colombian Caribbean region, local and regional initiatives for the peaceful resolution of conflicts are being strengthened. Young people and women in particular are being encouraged to exercise their rights. The peace process has favoured the work of "Semillas de Esperanza" in recent years, even though there have been various disputes with local and regional authorities and threats against participating organisations in Colombia.
Call for implementation of the peace treaty
The ten Swiss development and human rights organizations that are the sponsors of the peacebuilding program call on the newly elected President of Colombia, Ivan Duque, to continue the peace process initiated by the previous government. This includes, on the one hand, the rapid and full implementation of the peace treaty concluded with the FARC in November 2016 and the continuation of the peace negotiations with the ELN. In addition, the protection and safeguarding of the rights of all citizens must be ensured, in particular human rights defenders, social movements and their leaders, as well as small farmers, indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities, trade unions, media workers and former fighters of the FARC. For peace does not mean just the silence of arms, but that all members of society can fully exercise their rights in freedom and security.
The organizations involved in the Swiss multitrack peacebuilding program "Semillas de Esperanza" are ask! (Switzerland-Colombia working group), Caritas Switzerland, COMUNDO, Swiss Catholic Lenten Fund, HEKS/EPER, PBI (Peace Brigades International), PWS (Peace Watch Switzerland), Swissaid, Terre des Hommes schweiz and Terre des Hommes Suisse.
