Peace in Colombia hangs by a thread – what next?

International support for peace in Colombia must not falter, urges human rights lawyer Luz Marina Monzón Cifuentes, who has played a central role in the country’s peace process. She calls for a peace plan that meets the needs of the small communities caught up in the violence. From 2018 to 2023, Monzón, who trained in criminal law and criminology, headed the newly established Search Unit for Persons Reported Missing (UBPD), a response to the over 100,000 people who disappeared during Colombia’s decades of armed conflict. Today, she is in charge of the NGO Otras Voces and is part of the global network PeaceWomen Across the Globe. The Swiss initiative, led by Deborah Schibler, supports women working in peacebuilding efforts around the world. During a recent visit to Bern, Schibler and Monzón met with experts from the Swiss foreign ministry and members of the Swiss parliament, where Monzón presented her perspective on the current situation in Colombia. SWI swissinfo.ch sat down with ...