Undoing the agreement: The public dispute between parliamentarians over the implementation of the peace deal in Colombia

Abstract

Upon signing the peace deal between the Colombian state and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, from its initials in Spanish) in 2016, political parties and the social sectors that they represented, radicalized favorable and unfavorable positions on the implementation of the agreements. This article aims to analyze one of these disputes involving two deputies of opposing political parties that was broadcast live on a debate radio show. The analysis method is interpretive and inductive, focused on the verbal attacks and defenses displayed. Results emphasize the problem of democratic representation and combat tactics to guide public opinion. In conclusion, the analytical walk-through highlights the centrality of verbal combats mediated by streaming opinion radio and the narrowness of the victory-defeat scheme in public discussions. The article contributes to interpreting the current public discord, at the historical time of transition towards peace with the Colombian guerrillas. The analysis shows how opposing political forces fight for and against the implementation of the signed deal. For the opposition sector, it is about "undoing the agreement" based on the "No" victory in the peace referendum. This claim of denied victory blocks the implementation of the deal and causes contradictors to fight in public arenas.