THE ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA IN PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS: PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE POST-AGREEMENT CONTEXT

Abstract

The participation of the Armed Forces of Colombia in peacekeeping operations is an instrument of the country’s foreign policy that requires coordination between defense policies and military strategy. It is necessary to structure the objectives, goals, and means of the Armed Forces and its civilian and political high command, so that it can carry out actions outside the sovereign borders. The above requires a coordination between the ministries responsible for defense policy and foreign relations, coherent with high levels of technological development, means of execution, and knowledge of institutional mechanisms for mission logistics, particularly in two aspects: military organization and diplomacy. This article aims to determine opportunities for the Colombian Armed Forces and to propose lines of action that would allow their participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations in the future, after the signature of the Peace Agreement in 2016.