Weekly Report - 12 October 2017 (WR-17-40)

Three senior figureheads in the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc) registered the demobilised guerrilla group’s new political party this week before the national electoral council (CNE). Before the Farc can compete in next year’s elections, however, congress must approve legislation pertaining to the transitional justice system. This has made it through the first of three debates but it was deeply divisive and led to the rupturing of the ruling Unidad Nacional coalition. Cambio Radical (CR), the party of presidential aspirant Germán Vargas Lleras (until March the vice-president) opted to go its own way and withdrew its cabinet ministers from the government.