Pacific Coexistence In Our Country. Is It Possible?

Conflict and Violence in Colombia  

Ever since the creation of Colombia, the country has been involved in numerous wars, conflicts and problems in general. We cannot really say that Colombia has ever known an extended period of time in which the country has been completely peaceful, but we can identify some of the reasons that explain why this peace has been imposible.

First, we can start with the people that rule the country, the politicians. The vast majority of politicians in Columbia are corrupt or money hungry, and they wouldn’t hesitate to take an opportunity that could offer them a benefit, be it an economical advantage, accepting a bribery, etc. Even if all of this means that a lot of people are going to be affected thanks to them being selfish.

Second, we can talk about the lack of opportunities given to the people to better their lives. This has been a problematic since a long time ago. A good example of this, are the foreign companies that have established themselves in Colombia. These companies take opportunities away from Colombians to thrive in their own country’s economical market.  For example, a small manufacturer has no way of competing with a company that mass produces its goods, and because the small manufacturer cannot keep up with the big manufacturer, they inevitably go out of business, thus affecting the local market from prospering.

Third, we can talk about the violence that has been slowly killing the country from the inside, and ruining the life’s of millions of Colombians. This conflict mainly occurs in the rural parts, where the guerrillas threaten the people living there through extortion and fear, so inevitably, these people have to abandon their lands, their homes and everything they know in order to reach safety. And when they do reach “safety”, they are more often than not discriminated by Colombians! 

This only goes to show how intolerant some people are, that they cannot even tolerate people from their own country escaping from a difficult situation, instead mocking and bullying them.

All of these factors combined, show how long the journey is for Colombia to become a better country, one where people can finally be at peace, but until that moment arrives, every single effort to improve it is appreciated.

By Laura Cadena, Step 11