On 30 November 2016, the Colombian Congress ratified a peace agreement between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-Army of the People (FARC-EP), a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group.
It was hoped that the agreement would mark the beginning of the end of the complex internal conflict which has engulfed Colombia since 1958 and involves multiple far-left and far-right illegal armed groups, criminal groups, and government forces. However, seven years later peace remains elusive; the violence continues.
Undelivered promises
At first, things seemed to be improving; from 2016 to 2017, violence related to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) appeared to decrease. However, from 2018 to 2022, and especially since 2019, the numbers have been on the upswing once again.
Continue reading “Seven years since Colombia’s peace agreement, but violence against the religious sector continues”
