Transforming conflict and transforming violence: determinants in the geometry of violence in Colombia

ABSTRACT

After the signing of the Peace Agreement in Havana in 2016, which marked the end of the armed conflict with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP), Colombia entered a post-conflict period with the hope of ending over six decades of armed violence. However, this article argues that the post-agreement phase was mistakenly conflated with post-conflict, leading to the belief that the conflict had come to an end. This disregard for the fact that peace-building is an ongoing, prolonged, and uncertain process overlooked the potential for violence to transform and adapt to social circumstances, even with one fewer perpetrator. In this sense, the end of the conflict with the FARC-EP has created a favourable scenario for transforming conflict. This concept refers to the dynamic changes in hostilities between new, old, and transformed armed actors in Colombia, which partially build on and take advantage of the same structural causes of past conflicts. It is crucial to recognise that the end of one armed conflict does not necessarily mean the end of violence and that sustained efforts are required to address the root causes of conflicts and build a sustainable peace.

KEYWORDS:

• armed conflict
• security
• transforming conflict
• transforming violence
• post-conflict

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. It is understood as a political perspective linked to the ideological practices of the former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez. That political view is materialised in the right-wing political party Centro Democrático.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

César Niño

César Niño is Associate Professor of International Relations in the Faculty of Economics, Business and Sustainable Development at Universidad de La Salle (Colombia). He holds a Ph.D. in International Law from Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio (Spain). He he is Ph.D. student in International Peace and Conflict Studies at the Universitat Jaume I (Spain). He holds a M.A. in Security and National Defense from the Escuela Superior de Guerra (Colombia). He studied Politics and International Relations at Universidad Sergio Arboleda (Colombia).

Daniel Palma

Daniel Palma is a full time Professor in the Faculty of Government and International Relations at Universidad Santo Tomás (Colombia). He is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science and International Relations from the Universidad Complutense of Madrid (Spain) and holds an M.A. in Political Theory from the University of Essex (England). He studied Political Science at Universidad del Rosario (Colombia).