If Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is successful in reaching an elusive peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), maintaining peace in the rural outposts of Colombia where the guerillas operate as a de-facto shadow government will prove exceedingly difficult. James Bargent explores this “other Colombia” in his World Politics Review feature this week.
In the latest Global Dispatches podcast, Bargent, speaking from Medellin, and host Mark Goldberg discuss the challenges of implementing a potential peace deal in the remote areas of Colombia where the FARC has long held control and the Colombian government has a minimal presence.
For more on Colombia, the FARC and the peace talks, see Adam Isacson’s July 14 briefing on how Santos used a reshuffle of the military command last month to steady peace talks that appeared on the verge of collapse after months of violence; Christopher Sabatini’s June 2 feature on how former President Alvaro Uribe is using Colombia’s intelligence services to undermine peace talks; and Michael Shifter’s March 24 briefing on the challenge of facing down Uribe to secure a peace deal.