“The first thing to say is that peace in Colombia is an achievement that continues to surprise the world. Never, in another place, has it been possible to end an armed conflict of 50 or more years and that contributed to the fact that the international community had a very strong interest in the country and to improve its reputation”, were the words of Peter Ptassek, German ambassador to Colombia, about a possible frustration in the implementation of the peace agreements.
(Read: Ambassador responds to Francia Márquez about eggs: “perhaps Easter ones”)
The problem with any peace process is that it is usually between enemies and ending hatred is not easy, maybe that’s why in Germany (after World War II) we need much more time to get to the point where we can talk openly about what happened.
But in Colombia that happened very quickly, partly thanks to the fact that the implementation of the agreement, which is a great reform program, has it all.
Now, it is impossible to implement it in four years, there is no doubt about that, but it must be said that during this government the issue of reincorporation of those who laid down their weapons advanced a lot and that the policy focused on the Territorial Development Plans (PDT) is maintained. ) in the regions most affected by the armed conflict.
Although much remains to be done, I see a very solid Special Jurisdiction for Peace, a Truth Commission and a Unit for the Search for Missing Persons. In Germany, so many decades after the war, the Red Cross is still searching for the disappeared.
The biggest challenges
A big problem for the correct implementation of the peace agreement is the impatience of Colombians. They do not realize that they have achieved a lot in a very short time.
This added to the fact that it is being articulated in a sphere of polarization, which is not surprising either because yesterday’s enemies cannot become best friends by decree.
The peace agreement is an opportunity, but the real work is what needs to be done day by day. The most impressive thing for me, during these four years of stay in the country, has been the encounters between different perpetrators and the victims.
These meetings showed me that although it is a very painful issue and one that we are not going to solve immediately, seeing that the people involved in the armed conflict leave these meetings convinced of the need to speak, and even to forgive, is leading to a much stronger dynamic than the political discussions that can be heard in Bogotá.
What to say when they warn about an upsurge in violence in several areas?
Structurally, the great problem of the peace agreement is that it must be leveraged with a program of reforms of the territory that imply the presence of the State in the most affected regions, but that is not new.
The State never lost control over parts of the territory because in reality it never had it. In this sense, the new president must look forward to, thinking about the future of the country, question what country Colombians want, what it looks like, what it has and what is missing.
The State cannot only be limited to a military presence. On top of that, to achieve stability and security you need a strong social backbone.
From the German Embassy, together with the international community, we work with social leaders who in many places are protagonists, they are the vanguard of a civil society, in places where there is no order or security.
I believe that they are key allies and that will also be a challenge for the new government. It should be clarified that the problems did not start with the Duque government and they will not disappear with whoever comes up now. This is a task that must be faced with a collective effort and that must go beyond the government of the day.
Change after the elections
Could we say that you do not agree with those who criticize President Duque for supposedly having delayed the peace process?
I join those who are saying that the violence that is still present in the territory is the brake on peace. Violence is a manifestation of the absence of the State, which is not a new phenomenonand that is not going to end in the short term.
This government has not had an easy task with the covid-19 pandemic, with limited access to the territory, which the armed groups have taken advantage of to strengthen themselves. The problem is not the Government, the problem is the weight of those who are not interested in changing this situation.
Do you see a possibility of change after the elections?
It is interesting to see that there are now two presidential candidates who identify themselves as champions of change. I find it very striking that after decades of being silent about the need for change, Colombia has really changed a lot, although it was not accompanied by a positive narrative, something very dangerous, since changes have to be actively accompanied.
The peace agreement is giving some very important inspirations and this opportunity should not be missed.
Polarization is a common phenomenon and a way to stabilize. If I am afraid of change, polarization helps me place myself on one side simply by justifying that the important thing is that I am on the other side.
That can be fun, interesting, but it will never contribute to the candidates giving explanations about what and how they are going to do all that they so easily promise.
Each country has its own way of solving problems, but I think it doesn’t hurt, on the electorate’s side, to slightly increase the demand for content from the candidates to invite them to answer the question: what country do they want to build?
“We are not victims, we are survivors of violence.” thank you ladies of @PetraValientes for sharing details of her fight for victims of violence and sexual exploitation during the conflict.@France_Colombia and 🇩🇪 are still by your side to open the door to a better future! pic.twitter.com/6f5gFFWWXd
— Peter Ptassek – German Ambassador to Colombia (@alemEmbajador) June 14, 2022
Are you worried that there is no talk of peace in the elections?
That is a big concern. That is why we, the international community, are insisting so much on the danger of forgetting the opportunities offered by the peace agreement.
As I said, the environment in which this presidential campaign is being carried out does not leave much room for nuances, for structural issues, it is very short-term, very likely to have an effect at the moment.
Colombia has great opportunities in food production. That is why it is necessary to ensure the security, infrastructure and logistics that allow an integral advance of the communities.
And peace, which is not easy, which is not obvious, which is not something that falls from the sky, needs the cooperation of all and a push, which we hope the new government will give it regardless of the other internal problems that it will have fight, such as inflation, the cost of living and even the crisis due to the war in Ukraine, which will also have consequences for Colombia, given the rise in food prices.
Peace will need the full attention of the new government from day one. That is why it should not be surprising that, for this, the new president needs and deserves the support and accompaniment of the international community with programs that we already have to promote these processes and to contribute to what should finally be true rural development.
What else should you consider?
The talent. Colombia is a country with a lot of talent, which is not being used due to lack of access to higher education, employment and labor networks.
There is a lot of creativity, I see it in the case of scholarships that are given to people from humbler strata who are working with enormous energy and are achieving things with a commitment that shows that what they need are opportunities. Inequality is a situation that does not favor the development of the country.
Colombia has a constant, stable growth, despite not using this talent.
Therefore, I imagine how strong the economic and social growth of the country would be with this inclusion.
You were a very active ambassador on social media. Did you ever feel afraid of crossing a red line that is imposed on diplomats in this regard?
In the case of Germany, we defend very important values such as democracy, multilateralism, the defense of human rights, the protection of the environment, the fight against climate change… but if I dedicate myself to publishing the official communiqué of my Government, what would be the effect? None.
The problems that we have to solve with Colombia need much more than the government’s signature, and that is part of my task. I think we have to give an example of how to speak to the point and not hide behind stiff and tangled phrases.
Any concerns about who could be the president of Colombia?
That is an issue I am not going to get into. It is a decision that Colombians are going to make, but an observation that I allow myself to make is that, in both cases, nobody knows with great accuracy how the campaign commitments are going to manifest themselves in implemented policies.
Playing politics with murders: They killed Jesusita Moreno M., a 60-year-old social leader, to silence a powerful voice of civil society. Cowardly attack against the 🇨🇴 of citizens who respect life, who protect human rights. The murderers are enemies of that 🇨🇴, of all 🇨🇴 https://t.co/s7Hli0F38O
— Peter Ptassek – German Ambassador to Colombia (@alemEmbajador) June 9, 2022
Now that you are leaving, how do you define Colombia?
Living this country is almost impossible because it has so many interesting, fascinating and very little accessible places. What surprised me is that they are not places visited by Colombians, I think most of them know Miami better than their own country.
Colombia has a lot to discover and that fills me with a feeling of nostalgia because people here, despite everything, remain optimistic, happy and hopeful. In Germany they always have a bad mood, they have everything, but they don’t enjoy it.
One thing to remind Colombians is that sometimes they think very poorly of their own country, which is actually very good.
What concern do you leave your successor in Colombia?
A positive issue is promoting green hydrogen, we need many alternative energy sources to replace Russian gas, and with the very strong decisions made by this government, the green hydrogen roadmap that we have in Colombia must be strengthened so that it becomes a key supplier.
A more difficult issue is peace, because there is no doubt that without an additional effort it will not prosper, and that would be a very great loss of what I consider key to the country’s development.
What stands out about your management?
We had cooperation in the fight against climate change, to which we will continue to invest a lot of money in programs that aim to provide legal economic opportunities to people living in forest areas; We have a very strong commitment from German companies in the recycling sector, a circular economy, which also has great potential for the country.
The production of clean energy, and beyond that we have a presence of many companies that have already become Colombian producing chemicals.
We have a great commitment with companies in the health sector. You don’t see them every day, but there are more than 350 German companies in the Colombo-German Chamber, and speaking with them, it seems to me that they are all still happy because it is a country that has a very, very positive investment environment.
On the continent, Colombia remains the most stable country, with the most constant growth.
STEPHANY ECHAVARRIA AND EDUARD SOTO
*INTERNATIONAL EDITOR
**CENTRAL TABLE EDITOR
TIME
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