The Logic of a Secret Phase

The talks between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP began in 2010 with a series of secret exchanges between delegates from both parties to explore the possibility of a negotiation. They identified if the conditions were right and if there was a political will, what the prospects were and if it would be possible to reach agreements about how said talks would move forward, in what terms and with what intentions. The secret phase of the talks (2010-2012) saw several milestones, including: (i) the exchange of letters between delegates from both parties through a facilitator; (ii) in-person exploratory meetings between delegates, in Colombia and in Venezuela, to share visions for a possible negotiation and to agree on details for a formal meeting between parties; and finally, (iii) many rounds of formal talks between delegations in Havana to decide on an agenda for the talks and on the rules that would guide a subsequent public phase, which would eventually lead to a Final Agreement.

The exchanges and the talks between parties were kept confidential for the greater part of the secret phase: only a few government and FARC-EP delegates knew what was happening, in addition to the facilitator, members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (CICR, according to its Spanish initials), the state security forces who provided transportation and other technical assistance, delegates from the international community, and other individuals among or close to the decision makers for each party, or whose knowledge about the talks was key for later developments in the negotiations. This phase included key events and elements, such as the strict security and communication protocols, some confidence building measures (for example, the FARC-EP’s declaration that they would cease all kidnappings), the continuation of armed confrontations between parties throughout this phase (including an attack that killed the then-high-commander of the FARC-EP), and critical junctures in the development of the agenda for the talks (like the discussion of disarmament).

In this section, you can find some defining characteristics and reflections on the secret phase that the Colombian government and the FARC-EP developed, the lessons learned and the innovative aspects of this negotiation experience.

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