Colombia and the European Union as key partners for peace. Successes and Shortcomings of the EU peacebuilding strategy in Colombia in the post-conflict scenario

Colombia's long path towards peace was marked by the signing of a peace agreement in 2016 that was supposed to officially put an end to the longest-running conflict in modern Latin America. Even after more than four years, violence continues to plague the country. Although the conflict's origin is complex and multicausal, some of its root causes, such as socioeconomic inequality, limited political participation and the state's absence in several regions, remain unsettled. Since the effects of this conflict's prolongation go far beyond Colombian national borders, the international community has been morally obliged to cooperate with the national government to support the building of sustainable peace in the country by helping to tackle some of the structural causes of the conflict. Specifically, The European Trust Fund for Colombia (EUTF for Colombia) - established in December 2016 - embodies the EU's aim to contribute to sustainable development in the long run. The following study attempts to examine the EU peacebuilding strategy in Colombia in the aftermath of the conflict.