They laid down arms. Now ex-guerrillas in Colombia fear fate under new hardline president

The Guardian reports that in mid‑June, ninety‑nine former guerrilla fighters were air‑lifted to a remote settlement in southern Colombia, where they surrendered rifles, pistols, machine guns and grenade launchers and burned their vests and camouflage gear. The disarmament follows a ‘total peace’ initiative that saw only a tiny fraction of the country’s thirty thousand combatants lay down arms, and the ex‑fighters now worry about their future under President Abelardo De la Espriella, who has signaled opposition to the previous peace accords.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton