Reintegration and forgiveness to ex-combatants in Colombia

Abstract

The aftermath of over 50 years of uninterrupted conflict is not only underdevelopment and casualties. It is also the loss of social ties, the mistrust, and the difficulties to build a society where victims live with those who once were their perpetrators. These difficulties are many times linked to strong negative affect, prejudice, and skepticism towards forgiveness and reintegration. This paper uses the 2016-Americas Barometer database to provide empirical evidence of how Colombians’ attitudes towards the FARC-EP shape the probability of believing in forgiveness and supporting the reintegration process. We find that for demobilization to be successful a society needs (i) to reduce the perception of danger when surrounded by former rebels, (ii) to enhance perceptions of friendliness and hard-working on behalf of the ex-combatants, and (iii) to be more educated and allow the victims to speak up.