The Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is urging Colombia’s president to stand behind the peace accords signed by his predecessor.
President Iván Duque has expressed concern over several items in legislation that would lead to peace with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. Duque has objected to several parts of the so-called Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP).
In a letter to Duque, Nelson described the PC(USA)’s commitment to the Presbyterian Church of Colombia that dates back to 1856.
“In the last two decades, we have supported and accompanied the Presbyterian Church of Colombia in their task as peacemakers walking together with displaced and threatened communities,” Nelson writes. “Our primary concern is to continue to accompany the Colombian church in this task, because the voice of the vulnerable often is not heard by those in power and their needs are often overlooked.”
Nelson wrote that the PC(USA) is concerned about President Duque’s lack of support for the peace process.
“The people that have suffered most from this decades-long conflict continue to be those on the margins of society: the millions of displaced persons and the landless rural poor,” he said. “Their collective support for the peace process should be a compelling reason for your government to demonstrate a sincere commitment to building upon the progress that has been achieved.”
Nelson also sent a letter to U.S. Ambassador Kevin Whitaker, urging the U.S. government to consider its support of the Duque administration’s actions, saying it has placed the JEP in jeopardy.
“The peace accords, signed by former President Juan Manuel Santos, must not be treated as a political position that can be rewritten by subsequent governments; rather, they are a much-needed cornerstone in the work of building peace, which is the right of all Colombians as established in Article 22 of their Constitution,” he wrote.
Nelson asks Whitaker to work to get the peace process in Colombia back on track. The full letters are below.
Letter to President Iván Duque:
April 4, 2019
Honorable Iván Duque
President of the Republic of Colombia
Carrera 8 No. 7 -26 Palacio de Nariño
Santa Fé de Bogotá, Colombia
Dear President Duque,
On behalf of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), I write to express my dismay at your decision of March 10, 2019, to object to significant aspects of the legislation regulating the functions and mandate of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, known as JEP.
The denomination I serve, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has been in partnership with the Presbyterian Church of Colombia since 1856. In the last two decades, we have supported and accompanied the Presbyterian Church of Colombia in their task as peacemakers walking together with displaced and threatened communities. Our primary concern is to continue to accompany the Colombian church in this task, because the voice of the vulnerable often is not heard by those in power and their needs are often overlooked. As Christians, we are called to support reconciliation and wholeness for the people of Colombia, for all peoples, and for all of Creation.
We are deeply concerned by your apparent lack of support for the peace process. We have witnessed in recent months how your actions have placed at risk key features of the Peace Accords, threatening the guarantees that allowed thousands of ex-combatants to lay down their weapons. The people that have suffered most from this decades-long conflict continue to be those on the margins of society: the millions of displaced persons and the landless rural poor. Their collective support for the peace process should be a compelling reason for your government to demonstrate a sincere commitment to building upon the progress that has been achieved.
Finally, I note that the JEP was given the authority to investigate the most heinous of war crimes: sexual violence against children. I am appalled by your recent objections that seek to eliminate this vital part of the JEP’s mandate. While that may appear to allow for harsher penalties, the testimony of numerous organizations of women and victims highlights the appallingly low rates of conviction for sexual abusers in Colombia’s judicial system. You likely create a disincentive for perpetrators to be forthcoming with the truth and reparations if they face a harsh prison sentence. I fear that the chance of swift and meaningful justice for these victims will be threatened rather than advanced by the removal of the regulations to which you have objected.
As I and other U.S. Presbyterians have traveled throughout your beautiful land, we have always been inspired by the compassion and solidarity that undergird the Colombian people, despite so many years of conflict. As people of faith, our hope is that a new generation can taste the fruits of reconciliation and grow to adulthood in a just and peaceful land. We will work to ensure that the government of the United States contributes to peace with justice in Colombia, not more violence. We pray that you will do the same.
I look forward to your response.
In the faith we share,
Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Letter to U.S. Ambassador Kevin Whitaker:
April 4, 2019
U.S. Ambassador Kevin Whitaker
United States Embassy
Calle 24 Bis #48-50
Santa Fé de Bogotá, Colombia
Dear Ambassador Whitaker,
On behalf of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), I have sent the attached letter to Colombia’s President Iván Duque, expressing my dismay over his decision of March 10, 2019, to object to significant aspects of the legislation governing the mandate of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, known as JEP.
President Duque has made it abundantly clear since he began campaigning for office that he is opposed to the peace process, and his objections undermine the terms of the accords reached between the FARC and the Colombian State. The peace accords, signed by former President Juan Manuel Santos, must not be treated as a political position that can be rewritten by subsequent governments; rather, they are a much-needed cornerstone in the work of building peace, which is the right of all Colombians as established in Article 22 of their Constitution.
I had the privilege of visiting Colombia in January and meeting with communities of displaced persons who had suffered at the hands of insurgents, paramilitary groups, and the armed forces. I also met with FARC ex-combatants, all of whom expressed their fervent desire to move forward in building a more stable and peaceful future. I heard repeated concerns over the prospects for full and effective functioning of the JEP and of the Truth Commission, fearing that they may not be able to carry out their tasks without strong support from the Duque government and full funding.
The legal parameters for the functioning of the JEP have been duly defined and reviewed by Colombia’s Congress and Constitutional Court. They deserve the full support of our government. To see the U.S. Embassy supporting the objections of the Duque administration raises questions about the U.S. government’s commitment to a just and lasting peace in Colombia. We urge you not to cast doubt and uncertainty on a necessary process that is already underway.
I have seen the statement issued by the U.S. Embassy, insisting that justice can still be accomplished for the victims even as the perpetrators are separately tried and possibly extradited to the United States. I must question your confidence in this. As you well know, the extradition of key witnesses in the demobilization process of the AUC paramilitary organization a decade ago left hundreds of victims without the answers that could bring healing and justice through public acknowledgement of what was done to them and their loved ones.
Members of the Presbyterian Church of Colombia joined with thousands of other Colombian citizens in cities across the country on March 18 in order to express their support for the integrity of the functioning of the JEP as an essential part of the peace process. As a Christian minister, I affirm that justice requires actions that promote the healing and well-being of those whose lives have been diminished, threatened, and harmed. I reiterate, on behalf of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the support of our General Assembly for the legal framework approved by Colombia’s Congress and Courts for the special work of bringing justice, truth, and guarantees for a more peaceful future for all Colombians.
I urge the U.S. government to reconsider its support of the Duque administration’s actions that have placed the JEP in jeopardy and to use its considerable power and influence to help get the peace process back on track.
In the faith we share,
Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)