COMUNES: NEW FARC IN AN OLD COLOMBIA?

The FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), used the same acronym in August 2017 to define its new political name - “Alternative Revolutionary Force of the Common” - and a red rose as a logo, evoking the social-democratic symbols, after its demobilization as an armed group. In January 2021, it officially changed its name to “Comunes”, at its 2nd National Assembly, which took place in the city of Medellín. The claim for such a change is that FARC is a name already stigmatized and that its maintenance after the demobilization of the guerrillas generated resistance in the population. According to its leaders, this change is a “real and transformative bet for peace” in Colombia. Its members believe that the change will revolve its already scratched image, putting the party back in the running for the 2022 legislative elections. This is what we will look into this Policy Brief.