Response. “26 years later, they apologize for crimes against communities in Riosucio”

I’ve heard about the restorative and reconciliatory justice that has taken place in the past few years since the Colombian government agreed to a ceasefire with the FARC. Most notably, Afro-Colombian communities have explored various ways to reconcile the grieve and trauma experienced at the hands of the violent insurgent group and the government.

Ceremonies such as the one in Riosucio acknowledged the part that the Colombian government played, particularly in 1997, in the displacement of thousands of Choco residents. This acknowledgement comes after the international community had condoned the government’s role.

And that’s the part that I am still trying to digest. What roles does the international community play in bringing about this reconciliation? And is there a reason for the Colombian state, on its own accord, to submit to a restorative and reconciliatory process that reflects the victim’s desires. Why is black pain and suffering not enough for the Colombian state to listen? Or is the nation-state listening, but just getting it wrong?