The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) has addressed an open letter claiming that the ordinary justice system, headed by the Attorney General’s Office, is interfering in the processes of the autonomous, and constitutionally recognized, jurisdiction. Amid the controversy, 31 former leaders of the FARC being investigated in Case 001 (kidnapping and forced disappearances), will request precautionary measures of protection before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). Diego Martínez, lawyer for the FARC party, confirmed the decision and added that they will also go to the UN Special Rapporteur on Justice in Geneva to ensure that the Accord is respected and that the JEP is given guarantees of operation.¹  Similarly, members of the Senate Peace Commission have called on the GOC, United Nations, and International Criminal Court to defend the JEP against what they consider to be abuses by the Attorney General´s Office, including the raid carried out at the court’s facilities on 4 October, through which they obtained a digital copy of the file of Case 001.^2,3 

Former FARC Commander José Cabrera Cuevas (Fabian Ramírez) has addressed a letter to the Senate Peace Commission calling for government support of two new FARC regrouping points in Caquetá and Huila.  Last week, Ramírez and other former leaders of the Southern Bloc met with representatives from the UN Mission in a private meeting where they confirmed their commitment to the Accord and cited that 70 families of former combatants would reside at the new point in Puerto Rico, Caquetá, and another 150 families in Pitalito, Huila.⁴

A recent report produced by Fundación Ideas para la Paz raises alarms on the security situation in regions where the Peace Accord is being implemented.  According to the study, in the municipalities where the Development Program with a Territorial Approach (PDET) operates, violent deaths increased by 28% between January and July of this year, compared to the same period in 2017. Likewise, cases of forced displacement tripled from 5,248 to 16,997 and crimes against social leaders increased from 24 to 67.  The study describes the shifting security dynamics at the local level, which are mainly attributed to confrontations between armed groups.⁵

In a new attempt to get the government to name the members of its peace delegation, Pablo Beltrán, ELN chief negotiator, sent a letter to the Senate Peace Commission requesting a meeting with the intention of expressing his ideas for the continuation of the dialogue table. Beltrán also criticized the government's demands as he believes they do not uphold the agreements reached between the previous administration and the ELN. The Senate Peace Commission expressed their willingness to consider the possibility and resume talks as soon as possible.⁶   In other news related to the ELN, leader alias Fermín was killed in combat in Juradó, Chocó, where investigators believe the group had entered into conflict with the armed group Clan del Golfo for control over the drug trafficking corridor.⁷