Spotlight: Peace deal only beginning of march toward violence-free Colombia

The signing of a historic peace deal earlier this week is a momentous occasion for Colombia, yet it marks only the beginning of a long and arduous march towards a lasting future free of violence.

BEGIN BY NOT FORGETTING

Maria Emma Wills, director of Colombia's National Center for Historical Memory, said that "memory is an ally of peace as it allows us to discern which conditions took us to war, which prolonged it and which led it to a progressive end."

According to Wills, the first step is to engage victims and former soldiers in an effort to gather archives of the conflict's main facts. She said these programs can help future Colombians make sense of the country's violent past.

In a much anticipated moment during the Sept. 26 signing ceremony, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) commander-in-chief Timoleon Jimenez formally apologized for all the violence the guerrilla group staged in the conflict.

"I would like to sincerely ask for forgiveness from all the victims of the conflict for all the pain that we have caused during the war," he said.

For many, this was a step in the right direction for the FARC, which has begun to help the country heal, certain victims told Xinhua.

Marino Cordoba, the international coordinator for the National Afro-Colombian Peace Council, fled Colombia after his village became embroiled in the conflict. She said the apology was the minimum that the Afro-descendant and indigenous communities, the most affected by the armed conflicts, could expect.

"After 52 years of war, society has lost its capacity to feel horror, as horror has been repeated so often. The apology carries a message that what happened in the war is unjustifiable and can never happen again."

KEY TO JUSTICE

Opponents to the peace process have argued against the deal, saying it offers "impunity" to FARC members, whose crimes in the war will not be persecuted.

According to the agreement, the FARC members who committed a range of serious crimes but come forward to confess will see restrictions on their freedom for five to eight years, instead of going to prison.

To benefit from this scheme, the fighters involved will have to comply fully with the authorities in search of the truth and in reparations to victims.

Those who hide their crimes and fail to cooperate may face up to 20 years of prison terms.

For the Colombian government, it is more effective to have a FARC member help in de-mining, reveal where mass graves are or eradicate coca plantations than jail them.

"NO" VOTE STILL POSSIBLE

However, the victims are divided on this topic, with some saying that they, because of the amnesty, will vote "No" in the coming Oct. 2 plebiscite, in which the fate of the peace deal will be decided.

Recent polls have shown a clear lead for the "Yes" camp, with an IPSOS poll on Sept. 27 finding 66 percent of respondents support the deal and 34 percent oppose it.

However, concerning the possibility of a "No" victory, James Carlin, a British writer and journalist familiar with Colombia, told Xinhua: "The world would be absolutely stupefied. For a country which has been at war for 52 years, to essentially vote for the war to continue would be a complete defeat for humanity. It would lead us to ask: 'What type of species are we?'" Endi