<p>After nearly four years of negotiations in Cuba, the Colombian government has finally reached a deal lauded by President Juan Manuel Santos as &ldquo;the beginning of the end to the suffering, pain, and tragedy of war.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The<em> Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias</em> (FARC) is a guerilla movement that has been fighting for a Cuban-style revolution since 1964. They are known to finance their activities with kidnappings, drug money, and extortion. ;FARC militants have assassinated politicians, ambushed army patrols, hijacked airplanes, and planted land mines.</p>
<p>In addition to thousands of deaths, these behaviors have scared away investors, forced Colombia to use up valuable resources, and strangled remote areas with fear and poverty. ;</p>
<p>While the guerilla group&rsquo;s exact number are not known, CERAC reported that FARC had a &ldquo;violent presence&rdquo; in 70% of the country&rsquo;s municipalities in 2002. In 2010, Colombia&rsquo;s military estimated the group&rsquo;s forces at about 13,800 members. ;The Human Rights Watch reports that 20-30% of FARC recruits are minors who were forced to join by other members. ;</p>
<p>This extended insurgency has ultimately led Colombia to lag behind its neighbors in terms of development. With this threat removed, however, the Andean nation may finally have a chance to catch up with more prosperous countries like Mexico. ;</p>
<p><strong>What happens next? ;</strong></p>
<p>According to a press release sent by the Presidency, the agreement &ldquo;ratifies the FARC&rsquo;s commitment to close the chapter of the internal conflict, converting itself into a valid actor within the democratic system.&rdquo; In additio to political participation, the document focuses on ;agrarian reform, fighting illegal drugs, reparations of victims, and punishment for crimes committed during the insurgency.</p>
<p>While it does not submit to the FARC&#8217;s ;socialist demands, the treaty does imbue the ;FARC with official party status including ;5 seats in the ;congress and senate between the years 2018 and 2022.  ;</p>
<p>Finance Minister Mauricio Cardenas is hopeful for the prosperity that will no doubt result from this agreement. He expects a &ldquo;peace dividend&rdquo; that will bring economic growth up a full percentage point and predicts the grasslands east of the Andes will be opened up for high-tech agriculture. ;</p>
<p>Colombia has long been a major source of illegal drugs, with the FARC working hand in hand with drug dealers. ;If approved, this peace accord could eliminate a major source of manpower for the narcos while giving Colombia more resources to fight back. ;President Santos has been repeatedly accused of taking money from the narcos, however, and former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe is leading a campaign to have the peace agreement rejected. ;</p>
<p>The treaty must be approved in a popular vote, which is scheduled to take place on October 2nd. &ldquo;It will be the most important election of our lives,&rdquo; says FARC negotiator Rodrigo Granda. ;Current polls show that nearly 70% of Colombia&rsquo;s citizens desire peace with the FARC.</p>
<p>As soon as the agreement is officially signed, FARC members will have 180 days to deliver all weapons to the UN.</p>
<p><strong>Editor&#8217;s note</strong>: In my days as an intelligence officer I spent a lot of time in Colombia. It is a beautiful place with wonderful people. The scourge of FARC and their ability to lend muscle to the powerful narcotraffickers has kept a great portion of Colombia unstable and unsuitable for foreign investment for decades now. ;</p>
<p>While it is suspected the government has been strongly influenced by the narcos, the absence of the FARC should easily provide the 1% increase in GDP growth if not more.</p>
<p>Perhaps the next phase ;will be to lessen the power of the narcos, if the political will can be found.  ;Unfortunately the narco&#8217;s tactic of &#8220;plata o plomo&#8221; meanig &#8220;silver or lead&#8221; is very effective in recruiting supporters. The bottom line, they will pay you money (silver) to agree to be their friend, but shoot you (lead) and your family if you refuse.</p>
<p>Its not over but this is a great start, congratulations to the Colombians.</p>