Colombia President Gustavo Petro's "Total Peace" initiative has hit a massive snag after the ex-FARC rebel group Estado Mayor Central (EMC) attacked an Indigenous community. The attack resulted in one woman dead, forcing Petro to partially suspend the government's truce with the rebels.

The EMC broke off with the infamous FARC rebels after they signed a peace pact with the government in 2016. A former rebel himself, Petro has been trying to get these leftist dissidents to go for peace since assuming office in 2022.

The military will now resume "offensive actions" against the EMC after the group's "non-compliance with the ceasefire." However, this will only be a partial suspension of the ceasefire as the military offensive will only take place in the departments of Narino, Cauca, and Valle del Cauca, per France 24.

The ceasefire remains in place in other regions, including one in the Amazon and along the border with Venezuela, which has been accused of fostering Colombian rebel groups.

This was not the first time that the EMC had broken its truce with the government, as the notorious rebel group previously attacked and killed Indigenous people who defected from the group. This resulted in Petro suspending the truce for several months.

Effect of Partial Suspension of Ceasefire Between Colombia and EMC Still Unknown

The EMC has around 3,500 rebel fighters all over Colombia. Like the FARC that preceded it, the group is also known for its drug trafficking activities as it controls drug trafficking routes along the borders with Ecuador and Venezuela.

While the suspension is only partial, it is still not known how it will affect the peace negotiations moving forward, according to Reuters. The government has stated in its decree that the EMC members are "showing little willingness for peace" and prompting the need for state forces to intervene.

Things are also quite complicated in the relationship between Petro's government and the FARC splinter group, as an EMC leader has admitted that a peace deal might not be reached until Gustavo Petro's term ends in 2026. The EMC leader added that the "Total Peace" the president advocates would need "the support of wider Colombian civil society to be successful."

EMC Attack a Political Blow to Colombia President Gustavo Petro

Since taking office, President Gustavo Petro has been committing to his "Total Peace" policy of negotiating with rebel groups and ending Colombia's decades-long armed conflicts entirely. However, the armed rebel groups have so far been breaking the agreements they have been having with the government.

According to the Associated Press, the rebels breaking the ceasefire agreement was a political blow to Petro, a former rebel who has made it his administration's mission to achieve "total peace" in Colombia. He has tried addressing the poverty that underlies the unrest while also trying to negotiate with the various rebel groups currently fighting the government. He has sought to minimize the bloodshed, yet conflicts continue all over the country.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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