From weapons to the ballot box: the Comunes party and the challenges of electoral competition in the post-peace agreement

Abstract

The transition of the demobilized FARC-EP guerrilla from guerrilla movement to political organization is one of the most important phenomena of the last decade in Colombia. The 2016 Peace Agreement guaranteed the Party numerous benefits in terms of political participation, but just a few years before several of these end, a diagnosis is necessary. Because of that, this research examines the party's electoral results in the national and local elections of 2018 and 2022. In addition, they try to give some explanations to understand this political reality and the possible outlook that the party will have for the future. As a result, it seeks to understand the challenges and strengths that influenced the electoral results of the Comunes party, taking into account the relationship of historical context, political strategy and public opinion.