New possibilities for peace talks between the government and the guerrillas have emerged as Colombians recently elected Andrés Pastrana as president. A condition for the initiation of the talks, put forth by the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), Colombia's largest guerrilla group, is the complete withdrawal of government forces from a 16,200 square mile area of central Colombia (about the size of Switzerland). The government agreed to this condition and thus, by November 7, and lasting 90 days, the following five municipalities were to be demilitarized: La Uribe, Mesetas, Vista Hermosa, and Macarena (all in Meta) and San Vicente del Caguán (Caquetá).
As of December 6, talks in the demilitarized zone had not yet begun because of the government's refusal to remove 130 young soldiers from the city of San Vicente del Caguán; the FARC do not accept this.
The nearly-demilitarized zone is generally considered the headquarters of the FARC. The area, with 100,000 inhabitants, is the FARC's principal social base. Analysts of the political conflict note there are several possible motives for the FARC to make the demilitarized zone a condition for talks. One may be that the FARC want to end the suffering of victims of the armed conflict, and the demilitarized zone could be a safe and familiar location to hold talks towards this end. Also, the government hand-over of official territorial control could be seen by the FARC as an indication of respect and a commitment to a political solution to the armed conflict. It could be seen as additional recognition of the FARC as a political actor, an affirmation of legitimacy. As a result of demilitarization, the FARC may be able to move more freely throughout the zone, facilitating communication with civil society and possibly strengthening its political base. Increased guerrilla/civil society communication and a strengthened political base could be used to build leverage for peace talks; to organize development programs aimed at improving the living situation of civil society and moving away from coca crops; or to organize for a new phase of war.
Similarly, the government may have agreed to the demilitarized zone for a number of reasons. Historically, state presence in this area has been minimal. The benefits of beginning peace talks looking towards a peaceful political solution to the armed conflict and an end to the suffering of many civilians may outweigh the costs of creating an official military pullout from the zone. In addition, by monitoring the demilitarized zone the Colombian government could gain knowledge of the FARC's intentions. According to a November 24 FARC press release, other than the municipality of San Vicente del Caguán, this huge area is now demilitarized.
The following questions, adapted from the publication Actualidad Colombiana, address additional demilitarized-zone-related concerns:
What is happening to the civil authorities in the zone? Will they be
forcibly displaced by the FARC?
More information concerning the demilitarized zone, including links to government and guerrilla websites, may be found on the Internet at: http://espanol.yahoo.com/Zonas_geograficas/Paises/Colombia. See also www.colombiaenpaz.org.