CEDLA Exhibition Before the farewell to arms; A transition zone in Colombia

Foto: Luisa Machacón

Photographs and research: Luisa Machacón

Curatorship: Carmen Giménez Solar

In November of 2016, the Colombian government and the insurgent group FARC-EP signed The Final, Integral, and Definitive Agreement for Peace. A significant milestone in the history of this country. After 52 years of war, more than 6900 soldiers from the ex – guerrilla group started their transition to civil life.

As agreed during the negotiation process, the Colombian government opened 20 Transitional Local Zones for Normalisation (Zonas Veredales Transitorias de Normalización – ZVTN) and 6 Transitional Local Points for Normalisation (Puntos Transitorios de Normalización – PTN). These areas are currently the home of thousands of soldiers for a maximum period of 3 years. Processes of reintegration and reconciliation take place in these areas.

Through the images of this exhibition we get a glimpse of the daily life in one of these areas, where a group belonging to the Caribbean Bloc experienced their last days as soldiers, while they waited for their disarmament and the beginning of their new political party.