After a Peace Deal, Opportunity for Colombia's Leftists

Peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the Marxist militant group better known by its acronym FARC, could have far-reaching consequences for the country's domestic politics. Talks are currently under way in Havana between the two sides aimed at ending the 48-year-old conflict. If a settlement is reached before the government-imposed November 2013 deadline, the ruling political coalition could begin to fracture as issues that have thus far been secondary to security take on an added significance. Furthermore, Colombia's leftist parties, which the civil war between the rebel group and the government has marginalized and largely discredited, may again emerge as a viable political alternative.