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Beyond October 2: Possible Futures in Post-Referendum Colombia

Robert A. Karl NACLA
October 2, when the peace accords were defeated in a referendum, should not be remembered solely as the day in which dreams of a peaceful Colombia were deferred. Although absent the implementation of the peace accord, participatory action will remain largely confined to the local and regional level, the resiliency of Colombian social life in the face of violence will still help to define a new Colombian democracy.

After 50 Years of War, a Chance at Peace - Colombia's voters to decide fate of historic peace accords

Mario Murillo The Indypendent
The simple yes-or-no choice presented by the October 2 referendum does not take into account how the accord will be implemented and the profound divisions that exist after decades of civil war, militarization and politically motivated violence, and is a historic achievement. Nowhere is the resistance to any agreement with FARC more visible or vocal than in the rightwing political movement founded and led by Sen. Alvaro Uribe Vélez, Colombia's former president.

tv

Review: Narcos is the Next Great Netflix Show

Kwame Opam The Verge
Led by executive producer and director José Padilha (2014's RoboCop), the series tracks the rise and fall of "King of Cocaine" Pablo Escobar, and the bloody drug war between the American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Colombia’s notorious Medellín Cartel. A well-crafted blend of The Wire and Goodfellas, Narcos takes an unflinching look at one of the War on Drugs’ single most violent conflicts.

poetry

What She Could Carry

Heidi Andrea Restrepo Rhodes Matter: A (somewhat) monthly journal
This poem references the violence of enforced disappearance and forced displacement that is rampant in Colombia. Colombia has over 50,000 reported disappearances, and about 5 million internally displaced.

labor

Strikes Surge as Killings of Colombian Union Leaders Fall

Andrew Willis Bloomberg
Strikes, demonstrations and protests are at a record pace in Colombia this year as workers seek a bigger share of wealth generated by the country’s expanding economy. After 50 years of guerrilla warfare, the government’s success in weakening illegal armed groups has drawn investment and rewarded businessmen, while the gap between rich and poor remains considerable, according to the World Bank’s Gini index of income distribution.

Take Action to Protect Key WFP Partner, Ricardo Esquivia

Witness for Peace
Ricardo Esquivia, a renowned Colombian human rights lawyer, peace advocate, religious leader and a great friend to Witness for Peace, will be arrested by the military on false charges of being a guerrilla if we don't stop it.

Nationwide Protests Rage against Colombia’s Economic Policies

James Jordan, Constanza Vieira and Helda Martínez Alliance for Global Justice
Demands include popular participation in the peace process, an end to Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) that threaten the livelihoods of family farmers and workers, and government fulfillment of unkept promises for infrastructure development and Peasant Reserve Zones in rural areas.
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