Rev. Francisco de Roux Shares the Challenges and Achievements of Colombia’s Truth Commission
On April 11, the Georgetown Americas Institute (GAI) co-hosted a conversation with Rev. Francisco de Roux, S.J., to discuss his experiences as the former chair of Colombia’s Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence, and Non-Repetition.
Colombia’s civil conflict has been one of the most dramatic experiences in Latin America in recent decades. Lasting for over half a century, the armed conflict with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) cost the lives of tens of thousands of Colombians. In 2016, the Colombian government signed a historic peace accord with the FARC that brought an end to the conflict and created the Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence, and Non-Repetition. GAI hosted Rev. Francisco de Roux, S.J., for a reflective conversation on his experience as the chairman of the commission. De Roux, who is a Colombian Jesuit priest, economist, and philosopher, is also a visiting fellow with the Georgetown Americas Institute.
The Importance of the Truth
The conflict took the lives of over 120,000 young Colombians from both sides. That, in addition to the over 50,000 people kidnapped over the decades, barely begins to show the scale of the destruction experienced in the country. The commission’s main task was uncovering the horrors of the conflict; to do so it held over 30,000 encounters with victims across the country.
“In the pursuit of truth, the dignity of the victims was central in this process.” -Rev. Francisco de Roux
People want to know who was responsible for the pain and why such violent acts were perpetrated. For 40 months the commission held meetings in which they sought the truth, and people were able to learn what happened.
As chairman of the commission de Roux insisted that “we had to make sure that victims knew that they had the right to be listened to in this country, and we have the duty to listen.”
Still there remains resistance and pain. De Roux shared his own suffering, telling of many lost friends who have been murdered in Colombia and in other nations affected by conflict in Latin America. The problem, he explained, was human beings, who often find it difficult to accept the truth.
“There is resistance to the truth and institutions are concerned with it. There is a resistance to compassion that is very hard to overcome. If you don’t feel for your brothers, it is very difficult to change.” -Rev. Francisco de Roux
A Foundational Document for a Peaceful Colombia
In the face of such resistance, de Roux considers the final report of the commission, published in June 2022, a good compromise that was necessary to get to the “end” of a fully reconciled Colombia. However, some people still hesitate to embrace its spirit and recommendations.
“Some members of the military thought that we would show them as the ‘good guys,’” recalls de Roux, “but our mission was to show the country the truth, the facts…Truth always has problems with power.”
De Roux then shared a conversation he had with a ranking member of the military. Presented with the advanced equipment and training of Colombia’s armed forces, he asked why there still were so many victims. “Because of you, for not letting us win the war,” answered the senior officer, to which de Roux answered, “No, it is because of you not letting us get to peace.” Examples such as this demonstrate the extreme polarization in Colombia surrounding the conflict and its legacy.
Colombia is now rapidly changing. Colombians are united by their collective suffering through these past decades. To emerge from this national tragedy that impacted everyone, de Roux believes that Colombians need each other.
“I have not lost faith that I will get to see total peace in Colombia in my lifetime.” -Rev. Francisco de Roux
De Roux stressed that the final report was made possible because of its 500+ staff and the creation of 28 “Truth Houses” (Casas de la Verdad) that facilitated these encounters. You can find a translated version of the commission’s final report here.
This event was co-sponsored by the Georgetown Americas Institute and the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. It was moderated by GAI Managing Director Denisse Yanovich.
A full recording of the event is available on the GAI YouTube channel.