Colombia: FARC disarmament completed August 15

Event

The final batch of weapons actively carried by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was received into UN custody on Wednesday, August 15, according to a UN statement. A total of 17 containers of weaponry have been removed from the country over the past year and are destined to be melted down and made into three monuments in Bogotá, Havana, and New York. Secondary weapons caches hidden throughout the country have been identified by the FARC and will be emptied by the UN until September 1, and the Colombian armed forces thereafter.

Context

A revised peace deal between the FARC and the Colombian government was ratified by the Colombian congress in November 2016 despite vocal opposition, led primarily by former President Álvaro Uribe. The deal ended an armed conflict that has killed more than 260,000 people over five decades.

Meanwhile, paramilitary crime organizations (BACRIM) have replaced leftist guerrillas as the most serious armed threat in Colombia today. They have become increasingly active in recent months, moving into territory vacated by the FARC.

Advice

Due to the presence of various armed groups, including narcotraffickers, organized crime, and guerrillas, many Western governments advise against travel to various regions of the country - particularly rural zones - with the notable exceptions of the northern Caribbean regions and central areas (including Bogotá).