The latest quarterly UN report on the 2016 Colombia-FARC guerrilla peace agreements states that it sees no “tangible results” in the implementation of Total Peace–President Gustavo Petro’s proposal to extend peace to other illegal armed groups, particularly the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla.
The UN document highlights some positive outcomes, such as over 85% of ex-combatants from the former FARC guerrilla remaining enrolled in reintegration programs. However, it also expresses concern over escalating violence in regions like Catatumbo.
UN sees limited progress in President Petro’s total peace initiative in Colombia
The United Nations released its latest quarterly report yesterday, April 7, evaluating the implementation of Colombia’s nearly nine-year-old peace agreement. While acknowledging significant advances, the report underscores the international body’s alarm over resurgent violence in the country.
The current government’s Total Peace initiative fares poorly in the report, as the UN observes no “tangible” or “sustainable” progress in ongoing peace talks with armed groups such as a faction of the Central General Staff (EMC), a dissident group from the former FARC.
“I trust that the Government will make the necessary adjustments to prioritize political dialogue processes with the potential to deliver tangible benefits to affected communities. These processes must also align with the Peace Agreement and current security policies to strengthen the State’s presence in conflict zones,” stated UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Regarding Total Peace, few concrete achievements have materialized in nearly three years. The only notable development is the recent partial disarmament of the Communist Southern Front, a breakaway ELN faction operating in Nariño near the Ecuadorian border.
However, the report confirms the failure to secure a political resolution with the ELN as a whole, which remains Latin America’s oldest active guerrilla group. Compounding this, the ELN has intensified its violent activities, especially in El Catatumbo (Norte de Santander department), a region bordering Venezuela.
‘Concerning security situation in some regions,’ according to the UN
The report emphasizes the UN’s concern over rising violence in parts of Colombia, driven largely by clashes between illegal armed groups vying for control of drug trafficking routes.
“The current security situation in several regions is alarming and demands urgent attention. Fully implementing the security guarantees outlined in the Peace Agreement is critical, as they provide a clear, comprehensive framework to address the root causes and effects of violence disproportionately impacting rural communities, social leaders, ex-combatants, women, children, Indigenous peoples, and Afro-Colombians,” Guterres explained.
He specifically highlighted the crisis in El Catatumbo, where a surge in violence since January has triggered a humanitarian emergency, forcing thousands into confinement or displacement.
In this region, ELN and EMC factions are battling for dominance over drug trafficking routes through Venezuelan territory, as neither the Colombian nor Venezuelan state can effectively counter their territorial control.
The report stresses the State’s absence in these areas, which enables guerrilla expansion. It notes that these conditions “highlight persistent structural challenges driving violence in conflict-affected regions—issues the Peace Agreement aims to resolve, such as limited state presence and illegal economies, particularly illicit crops.”
The UN urges Colombia to “accelerate implementation of the Agreement.”
Majority of Ex-FARC Guerrillas remain committed to peace
In a more positive section, the report states that 85% of ex-FARC combatants remain committed to the peace process, with only a small minority returning to violence after nearly nine years.
“Eight years after the agreement’s signing, the vast majority of those who laid down arms continue their reintegration. Nearly 12,000 ex-combatants (27% women) are formally enrolled with the Agency for Reintegration and Normalization (ARN), out of the original 14,000 accredited individuals,” the UN details.
Carlos Ruiz Massieu, head of the UN Verification Mission, will present the report at the organization’s headquarters on April 22.