The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) authorized former FARC leader Rodrigo Londoño, known as ‘Timochenko’, to travel to Spain this week [1].

The move has ignited a sharp controversy among victims of the Colombian conflict. Critics said that granting such permissions to former guerrilla leaders undermines the pursuit of justice and sends a message of impunity to those who suffered during the war.

Londoño was permitted to leave Colombia to participate in an international event held over the weekend of July 6-7 [1]. The JEP, the judicial body tasked with overseeing the 2016 peace agreement, granted the travel authorization despite opposition from various sectors of civil society [1], [2].

Sebastián Velásquez, the legal representative of the Federation of FARC Victims (Fevco), said he was concerned over the decision [2]. The group said that the permission demonstrates a lack of consideration for victims, and reflects a pattern of abandonment by the judicial system [2].

While the JEP manages the legal constraints of former combatants, the ability of high-ranking figures like Londoño to travel abroad remains a point of contention. The authorization allows the former leader to engage in diplomatic or cultural activities in Spain, but the lack of strict oversight on such movements is viewed by some as a failure of the transitional justice framework [1], [2].

The tension highlights the ongoing struggle between the state's desire to maintain the stability of the peace process and the demands of victims for full accountability. The JEP must balance the legal rights of former combatants with the symbolic, and material needs of the victims' community [2].

“The decision... has ignited a sharp controversy among victims of the Colombian conflict.”

This incident underscores the fragile nature of Colombia's transitional justice system. By allowing a high-profile former insurgent leader to travel internationally, the JEP risks alienating the victims' community, which is essential for the legitimacy of the peace process. The friction between the legal privileges granted to ex-combatants and the victims' demand for justice continues to be a primary obstacle in the country's reconciliation efforts.