So far in 2023, 24 acts of violence have been recorded by the four armed groups that had signed the ceasefire

Since the arrival of Gustavo Petro to the presidency, the Government started promoting the project Historical pact which today has two main axes: the first, linked to the peace agreements and, the second, the law of submission. In both cases, one of the key points is ceasefire and ceasefire. Initially, the president announced on December 31, 2022 that an agreement had been reached with at least five armed groups. However, a report from Mediatorindicated that the said agreement was not respected, even, four of the five groups continue to violate community rights.

According to the control institution, so far in 2023, 24 armed actions perpetrated by these groups have been detected and they have worsened in the last month: “From January 21 to February 17, actions against the civilian population n have not stopped. The most affected areas of the country are the Caribbean region and the west of the country due to the Segunda Marquetalia, the Central Staff, the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia and the Sierra Nevada Self-Defense Forces“, underlines the Mediator in the document.

The characteristics that the document points out concerning the actions of these armed structures are: they seek to perpetuate violence, it has significant impacts on the civilian population which range from massive displacements of communities to the perpetration of murders and massacres; Moreover, it seeks to dominate the territories and replaces the State by imposing rules, regulating daily life and perpetuating fear.

Moreover, according to the figures presented by the defense, as the magazine mentioned ChangeDespite the attempt to ensure that the signed termination is respected, the reality is that after two months of the year the verification mechanism has not been consolidated and there is no evidence that the groups have signed the document.

In the case of the first, we note that every two months the mechanism would have the task of preparing a document reporting on the process and its positive and negative results, but to date it does not exist; Therefore, there is also no official version of what is happening and the engagement of the armed groups. Although it should be noted that the Minister of the Interior, Alfonso Prada, pointing out that the massacres were reduced by 50% after the signing of said decrees of cessation. However, the figures presented by Indepaz and other organizations show that this type of violence is at the same level as in 2022.

In this sense, the same agents of the State that he is Ivan Velasquez and Danilo Rueda They mentioned non-compliance by armed groups in some areas, but so far the necessary measures have not been taken. Sources from the Armed Forces quoted by the magazine point out that the concern is latent with the lack of guarantees.

“Every day we comply with control operations, but facts are presented daily that show a lack of commitment by illegal organizations,” the anonymous source stressed.

For now, the Petro government continues with the tables of the ELNthe negotiations with the dissidents, despite the opposition it encountered due to the possible political status that would be granted to these groups and the law of submission which was reiterated several times by the prosecutor Francisco Barbosa.