Description
Perpetrators' narratives present complex challenges in transitional justice processes. They can range from being the subject of intense scrutiny to being marginalised or ignored altogether. Despite this, these narratives have significant political influence and can support or hinder memory-building, truth-seeking and peacebuilding efforts. This paper examines perpetrator narratives to elucidate the use of violence during Colombia's armed conflict through the analysis of archival material from transitional justice institutions and interviews with ex-combatants in the country.
The narratives identified range from justifications of violence, typical of the defence of war as a political option, to confessional and restorative narratives produced within transitional scenarios and encounters with victims. The diversity of these narratives reflects different conceptions of the use of violence and the complexity of peacebuilding in a country like Colombia, where debates on peace, truth, justice and non-repetition of violence are acute and highly topical.
Exploring the complexity of perpetrators' narratives raises ethical and political dilemmas. However, by critically engaging with these narratives, we can foster a more inclusive and transformative approach to understanding the complexities of violence and the discourses we construct about it. This approach can help us to understand how and why narratives of violence emerge. It aims to enrich readings of peacebuilding in international relations, offer a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of peacebuilding, and contribute to academic discourse in the field.
