“No Advances Are Made in War, In Order to Develop the People Must Live in Peace”

So stated the Colombian ambassador to the Dominican Republic, José Antonio Segebre, during a roundtable entitled “The Colombian Conflict and Perspectives on the Peace Agreement”

On Friday, September 30, Colombia’s ambassador to the Dominican Republic, José Antonio Segebre, headed a roundtable entitled “The Colombian Conflict and Perspectives on the Peace Agreement.”

The ambassador
explained that the agreement seeks to end the armed conflict and avoid creating further victims; to address the conditions that have perpetuated the war; and to build a stable and lasting peace.

“This agreement recognizes that the armed conflict has affected millions of people, and seeks the best possible satisfaction of the rights of victims to guarantee their transition to a life in peace. It will be accompanied by the truth, justice, reparations, and
guarantees of never again being repeated,” he stated.

The activity also included the presence of former Dominican Republic president and current president of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) Dr. Leonel Fernández, as well as the executive director of the Fundación, Marco Herrera.

The Colombian diplomat highlighted that the accords mark the end of the FARC as an
armed group: they will abandon their weapons, move into rural zones, and reincorporate into society.

Segebre noted that according to the National Administrative Statistics Department of Colombia, annual growth for the national economy should reach 2.0% for the second quarter of 2016. It is forecasted that following the implementation of the peace agreement the country could grow a minimum of two more percentage points.

The ambassador stressed that
“Colombia should have made peace long ago,” as the war wastes human lives and society itself. He added that this war has left 7.5 million Colombians as victims and 6 million as displaced persons in its wake.

Segebre explained that the continuation of the armed conflict affected tourism as well as investment possibilities for both foreign and local investors. He noted that “no advances are made in war, in order to develop the people must live
in peace.”

In his opinion it is necessary to “convince Colombians of the benefits peace will bring to the country.” He added that “this process will bring hope not just to Colombia but to all of Latin America.”

In wrapping up his discourse, he thanked the efforts of the former president Leonel Fernández through which relationships with Venezuela and other neighboring countries began to be resumed. He
also acknowledged the support received from the Dominican government.

Dr. Fernández took the podium to note that “besides contributing to peace in Colombia and Latin America, the signed accords will serve as a reference for those who serve as conflict mediators.”

The former head of state highlighted the importance of the agreements to the issue of transitional justice.

He expressed his joy because
“Colombia will endorse this vocation in favor of a climate of peace and the building of a participatory democracy.”

The audience was composed of diplomats representing their respective delegations in the Dominican Republic as well as the general public interested in the subject.