Resumo

CABRERA NOSSA, Irene  e  ECHANDIA CASTILLA, Camilo. The FARC in politics: security risks and electoral scenarios in the Catatumbo and Bajo Putumayo Regions. Rev. colomb. soc. [online]. 2018, vol.41, suppl.1, pp.39-63. ISSN 0120-159X.  https://doi.org/10.15446/rcs.v41n1supl.68317.

The process of reintegration of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) entails multiple security risks amidst the continuation of the armed conflict and the increasing polarization with respect to the Peace Agreement signed in 2016. Both of these tendencies are highly relevant at the subnational level, in regions such as Catatumbo and Bajo Putumayo, where, in addition to the continued presence of illegal armed actors, there are political forces that oppose the implementation of key points of the negotiation. In these two scenarios, the historical presence of this guerrilla group and its strategic use of border zones entailed numerous armed actions against the civilian population, the army and the police forces. However, the transition of FARC from armed group to political party makes it necessary to explore the types of conditions that facilitate this transformation, as well as the possibilities of electoral support in a context that opens up a window of opportunity for new political forces.

Within this framework, the article examines the main challenges the State must take on in terms of public security, in order to guarantee the implementation of the agreements. Likewise, it assesses the risks and opportunities entailed by the political participation of former combatants in these two border zones. With respect to security risks, the analysis focuses on the redistribution of illegal armed groups in the Catatumbo and Bajo Putumayo, the cooperation among those organizations, the evolution of homicidal violence, and the dynamics of drug-trafficking. As far as the risks and opportunities entailed by the political participation of the FARC are concerned, the articles examines the evolution of the armed conflict, local support of the peace agreements, the political and economic agenda of local elite groups, and the electoral trends in the zones studied.

Palavras-chave : armed conflict; Catatumbo; elections; farc; political reintegration; public policy; Putumayo.

        · resumo em Português | Espanhol     · texto em Espanhol     · Espanhol ( pdf )