Armed conflict and peace plebiscite in Colombia

Colombia

By Isabel Saffon
armed conflict, peace agreement, displacement, dispossession, colombia

Colombia’s waning sovereignty is expressed in maps of: uneven development, armed actors, displacement, dispossession and political polarization

Using National and a regional study case of Antioquia this project pretends to expose the ‘waning sovereignty’ of the Colombian State where uneven development has shaped ‘geographies of isolation’ that have perpetuated inequity and marginalization. The Colombian State is partially present in the territory, which shapes an asymmetrical geography that blurs the jurisdiction of the State over the inhabitants. This is mirrored in figure 1., where the lack of access to more than half of the country reveals a new geography; a territory where isolated ‘islands’ reflect how the systems of power have highlighted uneven development. In this image the State infrastructure (the roads) have been subtracted from the territory, highlighting the disjointed areas. The resulting map is used as a visual allegory to political inefficiency and unwillingness to cover the territory evenly. Prioritizing the development of the Andean range allows the state to use distance to give citizens of these areas a ‘sub-national status’.

NATIONAL SCALE

REGIONAL SCALE

Colombia’s urbanization has relied upon strengthening of the entrepreneurial sector and the free market as the engine of development. Hence, the areas that are not seen as areas of economic development are isolated, uninhabited and poor. Shown in figure 2 and 3 the territory is exposes a contrast between the developed dense central part, while the periphery has high and very high UBN (Unsatisfied Basic Needs coefficient).

The partial sovereignty of the state has permitted the extensive presence of illegitimate powers. Shown in the following images, FARC is present in 50.12% of territory, paramilitary groups (BACRIM – Bandas Criminales) in 48.11% of territory, ELN in 6.8% of the territory. Only 33. % of territory has no present of armed actors and these areas are the most developed and affluent.

NATIONAL SCALE

REGIONAL SCALE

After more than 52 years of the contemporary conflict 220,000 people have been killed, 25,000 have disappeared, 6,433,115 people have been displaced and 8.3 million have been disposed.

However, the biggest challenge of the conflict has been acknowledging the victims. Only since 1980 the RUV (Registro Unico de victimas – Register of victims) was created, even though massive displacement began in 1950’s. Moreover since the most affected areas are those areas that have been disenfranchised, the acknowledgement from the centres of power have been partial. This is shown in the following images where using the data base of RUV (Registro Unico de victimas) a historic series of map of registered displacement has been created.

The density of displaced people the territoriality of Colombia is almost completely shaped. The great amount of dots overlay the territory, showing a prominent blur mass. Through this lens it is illustrated that the lines of sovereignty fade in the pixelated geography produced by the movement of the conflict. This graphic statement intends to visualize the problem of not acknowledging such a great amount of people. It is an effort to hold the state accountable for ignoring the conditions of citizens that not only have been disenfranchised by uneven development, but also have been ignored after massacres, dispossession and displacement.

NATIONAL SCALE

REGIONAL SCALE

After more than fifty years of an internecine-armed conflict in Colombia, the biggest communist guerrilla group - FARC - and the Colombian government signed a ‘final peace agreement’ in August 2016 (formally signed in September). In order to incorporate and implement the agreement the government opened up a public plebiscite. In October 2nd Colombians voted and the agreement was rejected with 50.2% votes against it and 49.8% votes in favor.

After the plebiscite, the social polarization was mirrored in the geography of the votes. As it seen in the next map most of the central part of the Country voted against it, while most of the periphery voted in favor. This reveals a complex fact: The wealthier and most populated areas didn’t approve the agreement; while the most isolated, disenfranchised and more affected areas by war were willing to give a chance to change. Clearly this is a bold statement, and to understand this phenomenon we would have to analyze each case particularly. However, in general terms, this event reveals that the Country is polarized and that, in order to start a transition towards peace, is important to focus on the dialogue between constituencies.

NATIONAL SCALE

REGIONAL SCALE

CARTO MAP