Farah joins the podcast to speak on his recently published report for the William Perry Center on how the Bolivarian Alliance, led by the Nicolás Maduro regime, used legitimate protests in Chile, Colombia and Ecuador to sow chaos in these countries.
Taking advantage of the demonstrations that flared across Latin America at the end of 2019, outside actors worked to push legitimate social protest to violent extremes as a part of a deliberate destabilization strategy.
Since the disarming of the FARC two-and-a-half years ago, the actors, figures and methods have changed. But the conclusion is clear: drug trafficking in Colombia is more alive than ever before.
Ivan Duque’s low approval ratings have been blamed on missteps, migrants and a mentor that never seems to go away. But there are structural reasons too, and those aren’t likely to go away after his term.
The ELN may just have destroyed the possibility of peace in the long-troubled country, not just with the ELN but under the peace agreement with the FARC.
Gustavo Petro has reasons to be optimistic after his defeat. The left has a new presence in Colombian politics and could emerge stronger for the next elections.
The FARC have committed to coming clean about abuses committed during the conflict in a transitional justice tribunal. Will state actors accused of crimes do the same?
While elite fractionalization between President Santos and former President Uribe played a tangible role in the outcome of the 2016 plebiscite and has continued to influence Colombian electoral politics, it also provides a window of opportunity for Fajardo’s centrist candidacy.
