From the Justice and Peace Law to the Revised Peace Agreement between the Colombian Government and the FARC: Will Victims' Rights Be Satisfied at Last?

The Colombian Government and its sworn enemy the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC) are striving to implement a historical peace accord, which will allow the country to start healing the wounds of a brutal conflict that raged for more than five decades. One of the most controversial and contested parts of the agreement deals with justice and reparations for victims. The present article analyses the effective promotion and fulfilment of victims’ rights in Colombia first through the implementation of the existing laws and then in light of the peace agreement signed on 26.9.2016 and subsequently revised, following the results of the referendum held on 2.10.2016. It is argued that the measures adopted so far have failed to provide a comprehensive and adequate response to victims’ needs, thus leaving the majority of the population affected by the war in some sort of limbo. Ultimately the article reflects on whether the revised peace agreement will finally be able to meet Colombia’s international legal obligations to protect, respect and fulfil victims’ rights.