COLOMBIA · PEACE POLICY
Key Facts
- —What is happening President Abelardo de la Espriella named Viviane Morales Consejera Comisionada de Paz, his peace commissioner, announced on 23 October 2026. She also becomes acting head of the unit implementing the 2016 FARC accord.
- —Why it matters The government has closed its main armed-group negotiating tables, so Morales’s review of the 2016 accord is her central task. No new talks are announced.
- —The numbers Nine resolutions closed three tables on 28 August 2026. The government says about 7,000 million pesos (about US$2.2 million) went on negotiators’ fees.
- —Who is who De la Espriella is president; Morales is a former attorney general and education minister. The ELN, a guerrilla group, froze its talks in February 2024.
- —What to watch Watch whether the government dismantles the implementation unit, which is still unconfirmed. Also watch for a review timetable; none is published.
- —Power Index Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.9 points (October 2026 edition).
- —What it means for you US readers tracking Colombia security, investment or travel should expect no new talks soon. The government says only submission to justice remains.
Colombia’s main peace tables with armed groups are closed. A new commissioner has been given the 2016 accord to review.
Colombia peace talks now rest on one appointment: President Abelardo de la Espriella has named Viviane Morales his peace commissioner. The government has closed its main armed-group tables, so the post carries the peace agenda.
Her stated task is a review of the 2016 accord, not negotiation. The government calls the old approach “la falsa paz”, or false peace; see The Rio Times explainer on who she is.
The Appointment, as the Presidency Describes It
El Espectador, Portafolio, La Opinión and La Silla Vacía report that the Presidency named Morales Hoyos Consejera Comisionada de Paz. Portafolio dates the communiqué Thursday, 22 October 2026, while El Espectador shows the Presidency’s post dated Friday, 23 October.
She also becomes acting head of the Unidad de Implementación del Acuerdo de Paz. That state unit carries out the 2016 accord with the FARC guerrillas, signed ten years ago.
The communiqué tasks her with a review of how the accord has been carried out and whether commitments were met. She is also to verify how public money was used and to find institutional failures that hurt justice, victim reparation and security.
The Presidency adds that she should push to dismantle bureaucratic structures it considers unnecessary. It says the review will operate within the Constitution and the law, Portafolio reported.
Colombia Peace Talks Before Morales: The Closed Tables
Her post comes after the government shut the negotiating channels of former president Gustavo Petro’s “paz total” policy. That policy sought talks with several armed groups at once, and The Rio Times audit of its cost is online.
On Friday, 28 August, the government signed nine resolutions closing three tables, Vanguardia and La Silla Vacía reported. They covered the dissident group of alias Calará, the Coordinadora Nacional Ejército Bolivariano and the Autodefensas Conquistadores de la Sierra Nevada.
On Friday, 4 September, the president said the state “does not negotiate its sovereignty or kneel before criminals”, Publimetro reported. Resolutions 391 and 390 of 2026 also ended the government delegations to the ELN and Clan del Golfo talks.
The ELN, a guerrilla group, froze its talks in February 2024, Publimetro noted. The Rio Times report on the closed tables gives more detail.
What the Review Could Change
The Presidency says peace policy must go with justice, security and effective reparation for victims. It adds that the “falsa paz” will not be a permanent state policy, Portafolio and La Opinión reported.
La Silla Vacía reports the president promised in an address to dismantle the implementation unit, a step Morales would manage legally. It would join a security commissioner’s office, as under former president Iván Duque; no other outlet checked repeats this.
La Silla Vacía also says the Constitutional Court asked in 2025 for the unit to be restructured. It adds that the government cut 2027 funding for the JEP, the special peace tribunal, by 170 billion pesos (about US$53 million).
The government’s stated test for any future dialogue is “clear, sustained and verifiable” will for peace from armed groups, Publimetro reported. The president said the only route is submission to justice and the rule of law.
Who Is Affected: Negotiators and Armed-Group Members
Portafolio reports some members of the Coordinadora Nacional Ejército Bolivariano stayed in transitional zones while a weapons-handover route was defined. The new resolutions ended that table and withdrew recognition from its spokespeople.
Armando Novoa, the table’s chief negotiator, said on 6 August that he had resigned irrevocably, Portafolio reported. The sources checked do not say what will happen to those members now.
President De la Espriella said four negotiators received about 7,000 million pesos (about US$2.2 million) in fees over four years, NTN24 reported. It is the president’s claim, not an audited figure.
What It Means for US Readers
For US policy watchers, Bogotá has closed its main armed-group tables. Wider context is on the Colombia page and in the Colombia politics guide.
Investors in Colombian assets should note that no new ceasefire talks are in prospect in the sources checked. Conversions use a rate of 3,184 pesos per US dollar, dated 23 October 2026.
Travellers should check the US State Department advisory before visiting rural areas, since armed groups remain active. NTN24 says the September announcement came amid a drone attack on military sites in Ocaña, which authorities blamed on the ELN.
What Is Not Known
No source checked says that any new negotiation will start, or that Morales will meet any armed group. The Presidency’s communiqué was not opened directly, so Portafolio’s 22 October date and the 23 October post date stay unreconciled.
Only La Silla Vacía reports the unit’s dismantling and the JEP funding cut, and no timetable or budget was found. The Presidency has not said how long the review will last or when it will publish findings.
The sources checked do not give a total for fighters now in arms. The 7,000 million pesos in fees is a government claim that no audit in the sources confirms.
What Comes Next
Morales is to lead a review of the 2016 accord, and one outlet says the unit she heads will be dismantled. The government says submission to justice is the only route, and no dates are given.
This does not mean the 2016 accord is cancelled, since the Presidency says the review stays within the Constitution and the law. It also does not mean talks are barred for ever, because the government names conditions for any future dialogue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Viviane Morales in Colombia’s peace policy?
She is the new Consejera Comisionada de Paz, named by President Abelardo de la Espriella. She is also acting head of the unit that implements the 2016 FARC peace accord.
Are there any peace talks in Colombia now?
The government has closed its main armed-group tables, as reported on 29 August and 11 September 2026. It says only submission to justice remains.
What will Morales review?
She will review how the 2016 accord is being implemented and how public money was used. She is also to identify institutional failures that hurt justice, reparation and security.
What happened to the ELN talks?
The ELN, a guerrilla group, froze its talks in February 2024. The government ended its delegation to the table by Resolution 391 of 2026, announced in September.
Does the appointment end the 2016 peace accord?
No source says so. The Presidency says the review will operate within the Constitution and the law.
What are Colombia’s peace talks future prospects?
The sources give no dates or new negotiations. The government says armed groups must show a verifiable will for peace and submit to justice.
Sources: El Espectador, 23 October 2026; Portafolio, 23 October 2026; La Opinión, 23 October 2026; La Silla Vacía, 23 October 2026; Portafolio, 29 August 2026; NTN24, 29 August 2026; Publimetro, 11 September 2026; NTN24, 11 September 2026; Vanguardia, 29 August 2026; La Silla Vacía, 29 August 2026; Exchange rate, 23 October 2026 (all accessed 23 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief