Peace in Colombia hangs by a thread – what next?

Hundreds of indigenous people protesting in Bogota, Colombia, on April 1, 2025. Keystone-SDA

International support for peace in Colombia must not falter, urges human rights lawyer Luz Marina Monzón Cifuentes, who has played a central role in the country’s peace process. She calls for a peace plan that meets the needs of the small communities caught up in the violence.

From 2018 to 2023, Monzón, who trained in criminal law and criminology, headed the newly established Search Unit for Persons Reported Missing (UBPD), a response to the over 100,000 people who disappeared during Colombia’s decades of armed conflict.

Today, she is in charge of the NGO Otras VocesExternal link and is part of the global network PeaceWomen Across the GlobeExternal link. The Swiss initiative, led by Deborah Schibler, supports women working in peacebuilding efforts around the world.

Luz Marina Monzón (left) and Deborah Schibler in Bern. SWI swissinfo.ch

During a recent visit to Bern, Schibler and Monzón met with experts from the Swiss foreign ministry and members of the Swiss parliament, where Monzón presented her perspective on the current situation in Colombia. SWI swissinfo.ch sat down with her for an in-depth conversation.

SWI swissinfo.ch: According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Colombia is facing its worst humanitarian crisis since the 2016 peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels. Many communities find themselves trapped between guerrilla splinter groups. Is peace still possible?

Luz Marina Monzón: There are three critical regions where the activity of armed groups has created especially dangerous conditions. The situation in Cauca province is the most severe. Conditions in Catatumbo are also deeply precarious.

Perhaps the most vulnerable region is Chocó, where indigenous communities continue their unyielding grassroots resistance. The violence there has been brutal.

Chocó is an area in which the state has never had a real presence. The distances are vast, and the communities have very limited opportunities to organise or protect themselves.

What is needed is a peace policy that really reaches these areas, that is present on the ground and helps people find a viable way out of this situation. These communities do not want conflict – they want to live in dignity.

We must support these people. We must tell them that they will be part of the peace building process, that there is a way out, and that they will not be abandoned again.

SWI: With so many competing interests, do you still believe in holding on to a shared vision of peace?

L.M.M.: I believe in the peace strategy developed by Gustavo Petro’s government. It is a carefully crafted vision which aims not only to end armed violence, but also to address underlying causes of the conflict, such as illegal mining, drug trafficking, inequality, and the lack of justice in local communities.

This is the definition of the “total peace” approach. But making it work in practice requires both political will and certain tangible requirements. Only then will it be possible to reach these communities in a meaningful way.

SWI: What progress has been made towards the goal of “total peace” and what is standing in the way?

L.M.M.: This government has already achieved some things – one of the most important for rural communities being the redistribution of land. The National Land Authority (ANT) has granted people land in regions where this had never happened before.

But other measures – such as access to healthcare, education, housing, and economic opportunities for local communities – require significant financial resources. And the Congress of Colombia has so far not supported the peace policy. On the contrary, it has actively sought to block it.

A man searches through the rubble of a house affected by an explosion in Mondomo, Cauca, Colombia, 17 April 2025. Keystone-SDA

SWI: What is the biggest danger Colombia faces right now?

L.M.M.: At the moment, the biggest risk is that outdated perspectives will undermine the progress which has been made so far. The efforts toward peace, I believe, have been supported not only by Colombia and its current government, but also by the international community.

We must recognise that it is only thanks to this international support that we are at this point in the negotiations toward peace.

Without it, we would be much further behind. The commitment to peace comes from the communities, not from the entrenched political class, who have every interest in keeping the conflict going and blocking solutions that protect life and dignity.

Armed conflict does not simply arise because someone takes up arms. It is an expression of the deep-rooted inequality and marginalisation in societies like Colombia’s, where land and power are not distributed equitably, but are concentrated in the hands of a few. Opportunities for political participation and a space for alternative perspectives are systematically suppressed.

A woman takes part in a protest march in Buenaventura on April 10, 2025. Keystone-SDA

SWI: Switzerland has supported peace efforts in Colombia since 2001. Has this commitment had an impact?

L.M.M.: Switzerland has – like Norway, Spain, and Germany – built strong ties with communities and regions, has supported projects, and promoted initiatives that protect human rights.

These enduring relationships have enabled Switzerland and other countries to actively continue in helping to implement the 2016 peace agreement.

The international community was already involved before the peace negotiations began – and that engagement was and still is crucial to the process.

Local communities regard Switzerland as being very trustworthy. It has consistently recognised the massive importance of searching for missing persons in Colombia.

Gustavo Petro, president of Colombia, right, and Swiss President Alain Berset exchange the agreement for the preservation of a digital backup copy of the archives of the Colombian truth commission in Switzerland on August 10, 2023 in Bogota, Colombia. Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle

SWI: What was your message during your visit to Bern, one year ahead of Colombia’s next presidential election?

L.M.M.: The message to the international community is clear: it must not give up its support – especially its political backing – if there is to be a resolution to the conflict in Colombia.

This is a conflict that, in many ways, has re-emerged since the peace agreement, as there are still many armed groups in the country. The current government is committed to finding solutions.

Working on solutions with the various armed groups is challenging – and in this sense, the continued presence of the international community serves as a vital safeguard, ensuring that negotiations will continue.

There are forces seeking to undo all the progress which has been made – offering no prospects for a dignified life in the affected communities. These prospects now hang in the balance in this tense run-up to the elections.

SWI: As a woman, what are your hopes for peace in Colombia?

L.M.M.: I hope that the violence that surrounds us will not rob us of the courage to continue fighting for peace.

As a woman committed to peace and human rights, I hope society will develop a stronger sense of shared responsibility for our political future – where everyone will be able to speak freely, and where opportunistic disputes will not distract people from what matters most: life, dignity, and freedom for all.

Human rights in Colombia

Despite peace talks and ceasefires, civilians continue to be affected by human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law caused by armed conflict.

Indigenous peoples, people of Afro-descendant and peasant communities are disproportionately affected.

Enforced disappearances continue and searches remain challenging. Violence against human rights defenders is pervasive, despite government measures to boost protection.

Source: Amnesty International

For Switzerland, it is clear that there are no simple solutions to Colombia’s structural problems, as this article shows: structural problems. Read more in this article:

Edited by Marc Leutenegger, adapted from German by
David Kelso Kaufher/sb