Event Summary
On 22 August 2025, the Colombian National Registry admitted the registration of a citizens’ committee promoting a referendum to “repeal the 2016 Peace Agreement” between the Colombian State and the FARC, as well as the Total Peace Law (Law 2272 of 2022) relating to the framework for ongoing negotiations. To be implemented, this mechanism requires the collection of signatures equivalent to 5% of the electoral roll to activate the popular vote.
This transformation would affect the current legislation of the agreement which has been incorporated into two legislative acts (1 and 2 of 2017), six statutory laws and 35 decrees, with constitutional, jurisprudential and international treaty backing and consolidating it as part of the constitutional bloc — and therefore considered inviolable. President Petro has warned that endorsing repeal via referendum would be a breach of Colombia’s international commitments, with possible diplomatic sanctions. The final peace agreement includes not only the former FARC but also various sectors of Colombian society and communities in territories with a history of economic and social vulnerability.
There is polarisation at the national level over the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement, which from the outset was expressed by the victory of the “No” vote in the 2016 referendum. Some sectors of the political right have spoken out over the years against this agreement and its implementation, including the previous government of Iván Duque (2018-2022). The initiative comes at an election time and could contribute to further polarising the democratic environment.