ABSTRACT
The announcement in late 2015 that the Colombian government had reached an agreement on justice issues with the country’s largest guerrilla group was received with jubilation in Colombia and abroad. An overall peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, now seemed within reach. While there were other difficult issues outstanding, such as the mechanics of ceasefire and demobilization, in the public mind the question of justice was always the most difficult, and no one was sure the parties would find a way out. The crimes were too great, and the culpability reached too high—and both national and international courts were watching closely and unlikely to allow an agreement that did not hold high-level perpetrators to account. 1
