Colombia at a Crossroads - ICRC Washington blog

It's a crucial time for Colombia. According to the ICRC's head of delegation in Bogotá, Jordi Raich, the country is at a crossroads – poised on the verge of five per cent economic growth, shrinking poverty, and the potential to put an end to half a century of war. The sad paradox, however, is that the peace agreement so many people are hoping for could result in an uptick in violence as criminal gangs move in to fill the void left by the armed opposition. Meanwhile, those hopes for peace are also tempered by fighting that continues unabated on the ground.