Colombia weighs Petro's 'Total Peace' plan as candidates head into election
As Colombia prepares to elect a new president, Gustavo Petro's signature 'Total Peace' policy is at the centre of the campaign debate. Candidates argue over whether the plan has fallen short or remains unfinished business.
When Gustavo Petro assumed Colombia's presidency in 2022, his 'Paz Total' (Total Peace) framework set out to negotiate simultaneously with every armed group in the country, replacing a military solution with a political one. Al Jazeera's multi-chapter examination notes that the ceasefire with the National Liberation Army (ELN) broke down in 2024, while talks with FARC successor formations yielded only regionally limited results. Continued violence in rural areas has been cast by critics as 'insufficient implementation'.
Leading right and centre-right candidates in the campaign argue for replacing the 'Total Peace' model with a direct-pressure strategy against armed groups. Centre-left and leftist candidates propose preserving the framework while strengthening regional peace commissions and development programmes to improve execution. Petro's surrogates contend that the underlying issue is 'a structural problem spanning generations' and therefore cannot be expected to conclude in a single term.
The choice Colombian voters make will shape not only domestic security policy but also coordination with neighbours on regional drug trafficking. Atlantic Council and Wilson Center analyses note how the next administration in Bogota will balance ties with the Trump White House and policy toward neighbouring Venezuela. This article is not investment or travel advice.
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