Renewed Violence Puts Petro’s Colombia to the Test

Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, ascended to power with a clear and resounding campaign promise: to bring "total peace" to a nation marred by decades of conflict. Petro’s vision has involved engaging in peace talks with various armed groups, notably Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) dissidents and the National Liberation Army (ELN), which were tabled aside during the 2016 peace talks. Almost two years into his term, however, this vision appears increasingly elusive. Instead of moving closer to peace, Colombia finds itself in the throes of renewed violence, raising questions about the viability of Petro’s ambitious goals.