A typology of military factions in the Colombian officer corps: origins and evolution of Colombian counter-insurgency

A Framework for Unity

“…Regardless of the controversies, the real negotiating and enforcement power of the GoC ultimately rests with the executive and his appointees-for example, the head of the Prosecutor General's Office investigating Duque and Uribe for corruption is also a longtime friend of Duque's (Alsema, March 6, 2020). President Duque has behind him the third largest military in the Western Hemisphere and benefits from a political tradition where civilian authority is preeminent over military power, a source of stability many Latin American countries cannot lay claim to (Dufort, 2017). Nevertheless, their preponderance of force in the halfcentury struggle against left-wing insurgents has understandably meant little when considering the nature of asymmetric warfare-an analyst can understand how undermanned, poorly equipped guerrillas have kept themselves afloat this long and even come to control sizable regions.…”

“…The demobilization of FARC-EP and the ELN is in fact meant to leave the GoC as the sole sovereign, institutional arbiter of force in the vacated regions. Colombia's strong military, hardened by conflict in these very same areas, has the tools to overcome the challenges mentioned above, and must be mobilized to defend the programs and supporters of the peace process (Ioris & Ioris, 2018, p. 82;Dufort, 2017). Buy-in from this key spoiler to peace is essential, and there are tangible ways to work towards this cooperation.…”

“…These arguments would be supported by the fact that the Democratic Centre and the military, powerful forces in Colombia, have a vested interest in continuing the war. Though this may be true, those pushing for peace must not forget that the Centre is still subject to elections, and the military, as explained earlier, has a strong tradition of acquiescing to rightful civilian rule (Dufort, 2017). Now, upcoming electoral prospects do not look good for those who would continue cracking down on protestors and sweeping the countryside in endless warfare (Miller, et al, 2020).…”