Because violence in the country is rooted in political and economic exclusion, the Institute prioritizes inclusive, grassroots initiatives by working at the community level to address the core of Colombians’ disputes and each department’s distinct conflict dynamics.

Institute of Peace has helped prepare Colombia for a political solution to its armed conflict. The Colombian government has also sought various avenues of cease-fires and peace processes with a smaller insurgency, the National Liberation Army (ELN). The humanitarian, economic, and political crisis in neighboring Venezuela makes prioritizing the accord that much more difficult. Preventing further violence hinges on the effective, collective reintegration and reincorporation of former combatants into society, as well as compensating victims, returning their lands, and addressing the socioeconomic disparities and political exclusion at the root of the conflict.

But implementing the accord-which means cementing the agreement into national legislation and ensuring its provisions reach all corners of the country equitably-remains difficult. In 2016, a historic peace accord ended the 50-year armed conflict between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Colombian armed conflict summary