Colombia Nears a Final Peace Deal

Colombia is closer than it has ever been to reaching a peace agreement with the country's militants. In September, the Colombian government signed a deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, better known by its Spanish acronym, FARC. The agreement was a key step in establishing transitional courts that will reintegrate militants into Colombian society, and it included the promise of some measure of amnesty for FARC leaders.

Over the next few months, the two sides will try to negotiate and approve the necessary steps for implementing a peace agreement and for demobilizing the militant group. Among the decisions to be made, perhaps one of the most important will be how to legally grant amnesty to FARC militants. Colombia's political opposition may try to stop the passage of any new amnesty legislation, but it will have difficulty doing so. Still, we can expect to see an uptick in domestic political rhetoric in Colombia as leaders debate the legal measures. Ultimately, though, the success of talks will depend less on the cooperation of Congress and more on the will of Bogota and the FARC.