Negotiating peace agreements should ideally be a means of ending violence. The political reality in Latin America and many other places around the globe, however, teaches us that political violence and polarization tend to surge after armed fighting comes to an end. The 2016 peace agreement in Colombia promised a different path as it has been applauded for its unique inclusive and comprehensive spirit. The stalled implementation of key reform projects and the systematic killing of community leaders, former combatants, and human rights defenders (HRDs), nevertheless, seem to have cast the same violent shadow over this peace process five years after the ceremonial signing of the agreement.

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