European Union Announces EUR 2.5 Million to Support Peace Dialogues in Colombia

The European Union has pledged 2.5 million euros to support the peace processes in Colombia. The resources are destined to facilitate the integral implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement, the dialogue tables that are being developed with the Central General Staff of the FARC-EP and the urban peace processes that are being carried out with criminal groups in Buenaventura and Quibdo.

The European organization announced a multi-million investment of 2.5 million euros (10.7 billion pesos) to support the dialogue roundtables being held by the Colombian government with armed groups and to implement peace projects.

Buenaventura and Cucuta are the regions that the Director of the Foreign Policy Instruments Service of the European Union, Peter Wagner, will visit until March 5 to learn about the progress of each roundtable and the social projects that can be implemented to benefit communities affected by the conflict.

Actions in the field

“We have been supporting peace in Colombia for 20 years and this new phase of more local support is a phase in which we are getting alongside the Colombian government, the local authorities, the people and the communities,” said the European Union ambassador to Colombia, Gilles Bertrand.

The meeting known as “Colombia and the European Union for Buenaventura: building peace, inclusion and development” was also held, where youth, gender, peace and income generation issues were addressed.

Today, March 5, bilateral meetings will be held between the European institution and the Colombian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francisco Coy; the High Commissioner for Peace, Otty Patiño; along with civil society organizations and representatives of the guarantor countries of the peace dialogue with the Central General Staff of the FARC.

The governor of Valle del Cauca, Dilian Francisca Toro, wanted to highlight the joint work carried out with the Europeans on the ground. “Peace is built from the territories and with the community. With the European Union we will work so that the projects in support of Buenaventura have an economic, social and environmental impact for the community; because to live in peace we need well-being,” wrote the governor on her social networks, regarding the visit of the European delegation to Buenaventura.

Peace talks in Buenaventura and Quibdo

The Colombian government is engaging in dialogues in Buenaventura with the Shottas and Espartanos, and in Quibdo with Los Mexicanos, Los Zatas, Los locos Yam and Los RPS, armed groups that have expressed their desire to build peace and cease violent and extortive actions in the neighborhoods of their influence. In this context, the government of President Gustavo Petro has pointed to these dialogues as the cause of the decrease in violence in both territories.

Thus, for example, the government has reported that in Buenaventura “violent actions have decreased and confrontations between armed groups have been stopped”. The Peace Mission was also set up to accompany the peace initiatives of the communities most affected by armed violence.

Likewise, statements have been issued stating that “in Choco a reduction of nearly 54% in the homicide rate has been achieved and social and cultural initiatives for peace have been developed, such as the Postal Service for Peace, Relato Vivo, and the work with mothers of victims of the conflict.”

Dialogues with the FARC’s Central General Staff

The table with the Central General Staff of the FARC, one of the main dissident groups of the former FARC, was installed on October 16, 2023. Since its beginning, four agreements and two protocols have been signed to advance towards a Peace Agreement that can ensure the protection of the civilian population and that guarantees social, economic and environmental justice, all within the framework of International Humanitarian Law.

To date, a bilateral and temporary national ceasefire is in effect with territorial impact until July 2024 and the Oversight, Monitoring and Verification Mechanism is in place.

European Union applauds the Colombian-Venezuelan connection

Last Saturday, in the framework of the visit of the European Director Peter Wagner, evaluated progress (especially in terms of organization) at the Simon Bolivar International Bridge, the main border crossing between Colombia and Venezuela, which was reopened in September 2022.

“The flow of people entering and leaving Colombia is well organized compared to the situation that this bridge presented a few years ago,” said Wagner, in reference to the fact that in recent years tens of thousands of people from Venezuela have fled through this infrastructure, which links the Colombian city of Cucuta with the Venezuelan city of San Antonio, due to the economic and social crisis in Venezuela.

Wagner visited the Simon Bolivar Bridge during his tour of Latin America to participate in the closing of the European Migration and Refuge program. This program seeks to promote the socio-economic integration of the migrant population and host communities.

During his visit, the European official walked with the regional director of Migration Colombia, Rafael Dario Eugenio, who explained to him how the Simon Bolivar Bridge and the migration process work.