Description
Following the 2016 peace agreement with the Colombian Government, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) demobilised, resulting in a significant decrease in violence in the country. While the guerrilla´s role in post-conflict politics and state-building has diminished, other two non-state actors have risen in significance –criminal bands and victim associations. Drawing on MacGinty´s three key responses to post conflict state-building interventions–acquiescence, resistance and co-option–this paper provides a comparative analysis of two non-state actors. It explores their interactions with liberal state-building efforts assessing their influence on the state legitimacy, the dynamics of peace politics and the functioning of welfare institutions and mechanisms.
On one hand, we explore how criminal armed groups feeling excluded from the peace agreement have escalated their military actions. At the same time, they are engaging with post-conflict justice and peace institutions entering peace talks with the government, seeking amnesty for war crimes and political recognition. On the other hand, victim associations are influencing transitional justice, truth commissions and other mechanisms created in the peace process as tools of resistance. Through active participation and political agency, these associations gain visibility, establish networks, and critically engage with state institutions, therefore reshaping the post-conflict welfare institutions.
