The political discourse of Comunes regarding FARC-EP dissidents in Colombia

ABSTRACT

The following paper aims to explore the political discourse of the party heir to the FARC-EP, now known as Comunes, in relation to the phenomenon of dissident groups that see themselves as continuing the legacy of the defunct guerrilla, and which have proliferated after the signing of the Peace Agreement in late 2016. Based on nine in-depth interviews with political figures who have occupied or occupy relevant positions in the current political party, we explore the issues that enable us to understand how this phenomenon has taken place. The aim is to give a voice both to the official party line and to the critical sector, which have formed a kind of political divide since January 2021. Both sides have a shared understanding of the structural and institutional aspects that have led to the emergence of these armed groups, although they differ on other aspects, in particular, regarding their position towards the armed group led by alias ‘Gentil Duarte’ and, above all, the group known as ‘Segunda Marquetalia’. Since August 2019, the latter group of dissidents has been led by alias ‘Iván Márquez’, previously the head of the FARC-EP’s negotiating delegation during the peace process.

KEYWORDS:

• Peace Agreement
• Comunes
• political discourse
• dissidents
• FARC-EP

Disclosure statement

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

Notes

1. Prominent leaders of ‘Segunda Marquetalia’, such as ‘Jesús Santrich’. ‘Romaña’ and ‘El Paisa’, were killed in unknown circumstances in confrontations with other armed groups, especially with the ‘Gentil Duarte’ guerrilla, in 2021. In identical circumstances, still to be clarified, ‘Gentil Duarte’ was killed in May 2022.

2. ‘Jhon 40’ switched positions in mid-2021, leaving ‘Gentil Duarte’ and joining the ranks of ‘Segunda Marquetalia’.

3. See: https://verdadabierta.com/disidencias-de-las-farc-problema-en-crecimiento/.

4. His appointment was a personal gamble by the FARC-EP commander-in-chief, ‘Timochenko’. Personal communication with the author of December 2, 2021.

5. See: https://cn.reuters.com/article/colombia-guerrilla-idLTAKBN1431S1-OUSLD.

6. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPZgtBnXr_g.

7. See: http://farc-ep.net/?p=2775.

8. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsGDo5bfVyY.

9. This structure has been totally disbanded since 2021 and any remnants have gone to two new groups: ‘Urias Rondon’, close to ‘Gentil Duarte’; and ‘Alfonso Cano’, aligned with ‘Segunda Marquetalia’.

10. See: https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/judicial/ivan-marquez-y-romana-llegan-al-meta-para-disputarle-las-rutas-del-narcotrafico-a-gentil-duarte/.

11. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D4H9Xha9O8.

12. The aspect recognised here is not entirely clear, as contradictory versions exist. This is because there are those who assert that ‘Gentil Duarte’ made clear his animosity to the Peace Accord before it was signed.

Additional information

Funding

This work has been the result of the project PR65/19-22461 named “Discourse and expectation on territorial peace in Colombia”. This project has been financed in the call for R&D Projects for young doctors, as a result of the framework of the multi-year agreement between the Administration of the Comunidad de Madrid and the Complutense University of Madrid in 2019.

Notes on contributors

Jerónimo Ríos

Jerónimo Ríos has been an advisor to the Organization of Ibero-American States for the peace process and the subsequent implementation of the Peace Agreement with the FARC-EP (2012-2018).

Heriberto Cairo

Heriberto Cairo has been dean and is currently the director of the Department of Political History, Theory and Geography of this same faculty.

David Gómez

David Gómez was an advisor for the Peace Agreement with the FARC-EP and its implementation (2012-2018).