Most presidents from across Latin America — as well as United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and other prominent figures throughout the world — made the trip to Cartagena to witness the historic moment.

And while most of the evening centered around emotional speeches, pomp, and circumstance — acts meant to commemorate the already-realized accomplishment of reaching peace — there are also some tangible benefits coming in.

The European Union suspended FARC from its list of terrorist organizations and is considering an outright removal. As part of the peace deal, the former guerrilla group will now become a political party, presumably with a rebranding effort to try to win favor in a nation where it was the primary belligerent in a conflict that lasted more than a half century, killed at least 260,00 people, and displaced another seven million.

According to an Associated Press report, the European Union taking FARC off its terrorist list is not just a symbolic move. “EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says the bloc will remove the guerrilla group from its list of terror groups in a gesture of support for the peace process,” wrote the AP. “That will open the door for Colombia to receive $600 million USD in EU aid for post-conflict refunding.”

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry as Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro looks on. (Credit: Office of the President of Colombia, Efraín Herrera – SIG)

The United States, which has already pledged some half a billion dollars in post-conflict funding, including a recently announced extra $36 million for landmine removal, may follow Europe’s lead.

Regarding the potential to remove FARC from the U.S. terrorist group list, John Kerry said that “we clearly are ready to review and make judgments as the facts come in.” From the peace ceremony in Cartagena, the secretary of state added that, “we don’t want to leave people on the list if they don’t belong.”

Kevin Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to Colombia, added some perspective, but little in the way of concrete expectations, late last week in Bogotá. “There are several ways to get oneself off the list of foreign terrorist organizations,” said Whitaker at an economic event hosted by the Colombian American Chamber of Commerce. “Obviously, with a change in circumstances — for example, the signing of the peace agreement — you have to reconsider whether or not the designation is apt.”

The official signing of the accord has also lead to an expansion of the mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) to support the peace process. In continuing work that it began in the country in 2004, it will monitor the ongoing “challenges, risks, and threats to the peace in the post-conflict stage in Colombia,” according to a statement.

OAS officials will establish a permanent presence in the areas that FARC will be vacating. Their goal will be ensuring that human rights are maintained and that economic activity, like farming, is able to continue without new problems arising in locations where there may be a vacuum of power after decades of guerrilla control.

“The OAS will continue to work on this noble task — the building of peace,” said Luis Almagro, secretary general of the OAS. “We will contribute all the lessons learned and the understanding of the Colombian territory we have built during these 12 years. We thank Colombia for its trust. The OAS is and will remain committed to you and to peace.”

Even more importantly, Kerry announced this week that the United States will increase its financial support for the nation’s post-conflict process by allocating $36 million USD to demining efforts. Speaking at the Global Demining Initiative for Colombia in New York, he discussed seeing the damage firsthand while meeting with disabled military veterans in Bogotá who had lost limbs and talking to rural farmers whose children had been killed by landmines.

Until these areas are made safe, said the secretary, potentially valuable lands in many parts of the country will remain effectively unusable. “Demining is going to allow Colombia’s campesinos to reclaim valuable farmland for productive uses as an alternative to cocoa leaf production — land which is now off limits because of the existence of the landmines,” said Kerry.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry joins President Juan Manuel Santos at Casa de Nariño in Bogotá, Colombia, in December 2014. (Credit: U.S. State Department)

Kerry also encouraged other nations to contribute, and Norway, which is co-chairing this demining initiative alongside the United States, has committed $22 million USD to landmine removal. Canada has also allotted $12.5 million USD, of its overall $57 million USD in support, to demining, and the European Union will kick in at least 2.7 million euros.

“Demining is an essential part of rebuilding in the wake of what has been this longest-running war,” said Kerry. “And more than 20 countries and the EU have joined the initiative. So we’d like to see more, especially in places where the Colombian government and the FARC have decided to work together — which in itself is a remarkable statement.”

The country has increased its efforts in recent years to remove the thousands of landmines that were laid over the past five decades. But the peace agreement with FARC becoming official is expected to create a more collaborative climate that should improve the process, as tedious as it will inherently continue to be.

With even more help from the guerrilla group to disclose mine locations, President Juan Manuel Santos has said that he hopes Colombia can be totally free of landmines by 2021. There have been at least 700 military personnel dedicated to demining in the past, and an influx of experts could push the effort to more than 10,000 people by next year. The total price tag could run more than $350 million USD, per the Miami Herald.

At least 11,000 people — including more than 4,000 civilians — have been killed or injured by landmines in Colombia since 1990, according to The Halo Trust, a nonprofit group that has been essential to demining efforts in Colombia and across the globe. In 2014 alone, 286 of 3,678 global mine victims recorded by the organization came from Colombia, making it the second-most mine-affected country in the world after Afghanistan.

Kerry previously traveled to Colombia in 2013 just months after taking office as secretary of state under President Barack Obama. He returned in December 2014 to discuss bilateral relations, including the peace process with FARC.

Photo Credit: U.S. State Department

Colombia Peace Process

I am very pleased to see that the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have reached major breakthroughs on the outstanding issues in the peace process negotiations:  transitional justice, disarmament, and a timetable for signing a final agreement.

The announcements made today at the peace talks in Havana represent historic progress toward a final peace agreement to end more than 50 years of armed conflict.  Peace is now ever closer for the Colombian people and millions of conflict victims.

We applaud President Santos and his negotiating team for their efforts to reach a just and lasting peace with the FARC.  We are hopeful the parties will soon conclude a final agreement to end this terrible war.  The Colombian people deserve a just and durable peace, and this will be their victory.

I have called President Santos to congratulate him and his negotiating team for their courage and commitment to the peace talks under extraordinarily difficult conditions.  The President and I have met on several occasions since the talks began, and we speak regularly by phone.  I have also met twice with Colombian government negotiators.

Last December, in Bogota, President Santos asked whether the United States would support this process by appointing a Special Envoy.  President Obama and I agreed, so we appointed former Assistant Secretary of State Bernard Aronson, who has been deeply involved every step of the way, including in the most recent round in Cuba last week.  He will continue to stay closely engaged in this process.

I also must express my deep appreciation to Pope Francis for his moral leadership and the Vatican’s good offices in the quest for peace in Colombia.  We also underline the important roles played by Norway and Cuba as guarantors of the peace process.

U.S. support for Colombia dates back more than 15 years to Plan Colombia, a bipartisan initiative carried forward and sustained by Presidents and Congresses of both parties.  I consistently supported Colombia as a United States Senator.  However, Colombia’s success in waging war and now in waging peace is a testament to its leaders, civil society, and democratic institutions, including its armed forces and police.  Today we salute all Colombians and urge the parties to finish their negotiations and construct the peace and prosperity Colombians richly deserve.  We will continue to support President Santos and the Colombian people as these negotiations move forward.

Above photo credit: OP Cancillería