Colombia’s ‘Marshal Plan for Peace’ begins to take shape
Colombia’s ‘Marshal Plan for Peace’ begins to take shape
Oct 21, 2014 posted by Samuel Moldovan
Colombia’s courtship of foreign investment to finance its redevelopment after 50 years of civil war has begun to pay off as several European countries and organizations are committing funds to the effort.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos spoke of the need for a “Marshal Plan for Peace” two weeks ago in an interview with local media, emphasizing that 50 years of armed civil conflict have devastated large segments of the country. Looking to mirror Europe’s reconstruction after World War II, an effort undertaken with massive foreign government financing, Colombia’s own “Marshal Plan” may be coming together with talk of help from Germany, Spain, Norway, Sweden, and Belgium.
Perhaps the most important driving factor for these commitments is that peace finally seems to be on the horizon – though it is by no means assured. Since 2012, the government has been engaged in intense negotiations with the country’s largest and most powerful rebel group, the FARC, and in June the president won a tight reelection campaign almost entirely centered on a mandate to continue the talks until peace is achieved.
Santos’ opponents, who nearly defeated him in the election, demand an immediate cessation of all rebel activities as a precondition to continuing the talks, practically ensuring a breakdown in negotiations and ramped-up military campaigns.
With the recent publication of preliminary agreements reached in Havana on three out of the five most quintessential components of a comprehensive peace deal, negotiations seem to be advancing toward an end to Latin America’s longest conflict. And with that end in sight, the Colombian government has been able to convince various European nations to deliver aid packages and financing funds in order to help smooth the transition from war to peace.
More:
http://colombiareports.co/colombias-marshal-plan-peace-begins-take-shape/