[Politics] Violence, political and criminal, in the Colombian pre-electoral arena

[#CeLTiXxX]

 

In the same way that happened with the previous stage of the electoral calendar, the proximity of a new cycle of elections has intensified the scene of political violence. Recent events make us anticipate that the next electoral phase will be accompanied by a visible increase in this phenomenon. Breaking this intersection between violence and politics, particularly in deep Colombia, was precisely one of the aspirations of the 2016 peace agreement between the country's government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Initially there were some indications that Colombia might indeed enter a new stage in its political development. The country had one of the lowest rates of violence in its history; for example, in the homicide rate and the number of massacres. But, as in past experiences of peace in Colombia, there were also signs that the country had not overcome the tragic conjunction of politics and violence. The growing number of social leaders assassinated since the signing of the agreement is one of the biggest concerns of the subsequent period. As has been common in other post-conflict scenarios around the world, many of the explanations for this violence have focused on the proliferation of criminal organizations that compete for control of illicit markets and thrive in the power vacuums resulting from demobilization. of rebel groups in territories characterized by persistent state weakness. It is common to think of this violence as something clearly 'criminal', without any political logic.

 

Provided by: https://agendapublica.elpais.com/noticia/17657/violencias-politica-criminal-arena-preelectoral-colombiana