From Insurgency to Local Politics the Case of the Former FARC-EP Insurgent Guillermo Torres in Turbaco, Colombia

Julian Cortés-Urquijo*, Rafael Quishpe, Laura Malagón, Gemma van der Haar

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Political participation by the former FARC-EP in Colombia remains challenging. Yet, despite limited acceptance of ex-rebels by Colombian society, ex-insurgent Guillermo Torres successfully ran for office in the municipality of Turbaco. We observe how he negotiated his identity as former rebel, revolutionary musician, and son-of-the-soil, to make himself a credible candidate, and to implement a progressive agenda. We challenge mainstream perspectives on ‘political reintegration’ and localise the ‘rebel-to-party’ debate. We suggest four elements to understand ex-insurgents political participation in local realms: identity and sense of belonging, insurgent and post-insurgent relations with local society, interaction with regional elites, and partisan competitiveness.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)637-662
JournalCivil Wars
Volume25
Issue number4
Early online date24 Jul 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

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