The Non-State Violent Actors on the northern border of Ecuador, consequences of a Peace Agreement that did not materialize

Abstract

The Peace Agreement between the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP in 2016 has not stopped the violence in Colombia. According to UNDOC, coca planting, and cocaine exports have increased from 2016 to 2022. FARC-EP has divided itself into several columns and fronts, which, together with the ELN guerrilla, continue to carry out illegal activities, affecting the security of neighboring countries such as Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and Brazil. This article seeks to answer the research question: How do violent non-state actors (AVNE) in Colombian territory affect security, specifically in Ecuador, after the signing of the Peace Agreement? The authors seek to verify the hypothesis that violence continues establishing in areas occupied by AVNEs where they carry out a series of crimes affecting the security of border populations of Colombia and Ecuador. The methodology used for this work was done through a bibliographic review, where connecting words were used in academic search engines Colombia-Ecuador, Non-State Violent Actors, drug trafficking, and Security. In addition, data obtained for the analysis of UNODC, and the Colombian and Ecuadorian police will serve to strengthen the hypothesis. At the end, we will contribute with some conclusions as a product of our investigation.